Lucknow court issues notice to Rahul Gandhi on complaint for remarks about VD Savarkar

A sessions court in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh has asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to respond to a complaint filed over allegedly derogatory remarks against VD Savarkar during his Bharat Jodo rally in Maharashtra last year..Sessions Judge Ashwini Kumar Tripathi issued the notice in response to a criminal revision plea filed by a lawyer, advocate Nripendra Pandey..Pandey had filed initially approached an Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) with an application to register a first information report (FIR) against Gandhi for his remarks on Savarkar..Pandey registered grievance over remarks allegedly made by Rahul Gandhi on November 17 last year, whereby the Congress leader referred Savarkar as a collaborator with the British and further stated that Sarvarkar received pension payments from the British. Pandey asserted that these remarks were made with the intent of inciting hatred in society, .In June 2023, ACJM Ambrish Kumar Srivastava dismissed Pandey's complaint prompting Pandey to challenge the same before the sessions court..Observing that the revision plea by Pandey raised both questions of law and fact, the sessions court decided to admit the revision plea. .Further the sessions court also transferred the matter to the Additional Sessions Judge/MP-MLA court in Lucknow. The next hearing in this matter is scheduled for November 1, 2023..The complaint by Pandey also asserted that Mahatma Gandhi had previously recognized Savarkar as a patriot. However, Rahul Gandhi's statements were causing social discord and animosity by spreading unwarranted views against Sarvarkar resulting in significant mental and physical distress for the complainant (Pandey), the complaint further said. .[Read Order]