PUNE, 13 AUG

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has informed a Pune court that he fears a threat to his life from the followers of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and Nathuram Godse. In an application filed before a special court hearing a defamation case against him, Gandhi sought “preventive protection”, calling it a constitutional obligation of the state.

The plea, submitted by his lawyer, Advocate Milind Pawar, highlights recent threats made against Gandhi. BJP leader RN Bittu reportedly labelled him a “terrorist”, while Tarvinder Marwah allegedly warned he may “meet the same fate as his grandmother Indira Gandhi”.

The application also notes that Satyaki Savarkar, the complainant and grand-nephew of V D Savarkar, is a maternal descendant of Nathuram and Gopal Godse, key conspirators in Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination.

Rahul Gandhi, currently Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, recently held a press conference in New Delhi, alleging electoral fraud by the Election Commission. He also staged a protest in Parliament, shouting slogans like “vote chor sarkar”.

The application argues that, given the current political climate and past ideological hostility, Gandhi faces a real and substantial threat of harm or wrongful implication. It also cites “violent and anti-constitutional tendencies” linked to the complainant’s ideological lineage.

Satyaki Savarkar has dismissed the plea as “frivolous” and a delay tactic. The defamation case, which stems from Gandhi’s alleged comments about Savarkar in a 2023 London speech, is yet to go to trial. Gandhi is currently out on bail.