Stand by remarks on RSS, Rahul tells apex court

Rahul Gandhi told the Supreme Court on Thursday that he stands by his statement that “RSS men” were behind Mahatma Gandhi’s murder.

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal, appearing for Rahul Gandhi in the case, said the Congress Vice-Pesident stands by his comment. The BJP and the RSS, meanwhile, condemned Rahul Gandhi for criticising RSS for political gains.

Congress Chief Spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said Rahul Gandhi’s bold stance would strengthen the country’s secular forces. The Nehru-Gandhi scion had made the comment on March 6, 2014 in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra during a public rally. “His fight is not against any individual, but against an ideology that divides the country using caste, region and religion. This will further embolden the Congress to fight communalism,” Surjewala said.

Earlier in Supreme Court, Sibal said Rahul Gandhi was ready to face trial before a court, which had issued a summons to him as an accused in the case. “I stand by each and every word. I will never take my words back. I stood by it yesterday, I stand by it today and I will stand by it in future. I am ready to go to trial,” Sibal, told a bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and RF Nariman.

The RSS questioned the Congress leader’s alleged U-turn on the issue and asked why he avoided trial in the case for two years. “Is he scared to face truth? He keeps on taking U-turns,” RSS Communications Department head Manmohan Vaidya said. BJP leader and Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy said Rahul Gandhi suffers from amnesia.

The Congress said the fight Rahul Gandhi was engaged was one against the forces of destruction. “When Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated, the then government proceeded to ban the RSS. While the nation mourned the death of Gandhi ji , RSS and Hindu Mahasabha celebrated. RSS was like family to Nathuram Godse. All the Godse brothers were a part of the RSS,” Surjewala said.

‘Modi’s vendetta politics’ On a tour of his Amethi constituency, Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of practising “politics of vendetta” by “scrapping” projects there. Apparently miffed over scrapping of a mega food park and a Hindustan Paper Mill project in Amethi and shifting of the Rajiv Gandhi IIIT to Allahabad, Gandhi said Modi was harming people of Amethi.

“There was no fault on the part of people of Amethi...Modi talks of development but he is harming them,” Rahul said, adding that projects that could have changed the lives of people have been either scrapped or diverted elsewhere.

COMMENT NOW