Defamation Case: Rahul Gandhi did not mention RSS but their ideology, says Sibal

Former law minister and Congress leader Kapil Sibal has rubbished the defamation case filed against party vice president Rahul Gandhi by Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), and clarified that the latter did not mention the organisation, but its ideology with reference to the RSS alleged role in the assassination of Father of The Nation Mahatma Gandhi.

Sibal further said that assassinator Nathuram Godse's brother, Gopal Godse, had himself claimed that the killing happened.

The RSS, the ideological mentor of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) filed a defamation case against Gandhi for his speech at a rally in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra in 2014. Rahul had alleged that RSS members had assassinated Mahatma Gandhi on January 30, 1948.

"We have clearly said that we did not talk about a particular institution and that Mahatma Gandhi was killed by one ideology and this topic is not of today. Whatever Rahul Gandhi said is still available in written form. Rahul Gandhi has said that whatever is present in his speech should been seen as a context. Things which are true are true and we stick to it," Sibal said.

Highlighting that the circular of the Government of India on February 2, 1948 clearly mentioned that Gandhi was killed by the people of the RSS, Sibal said, "Even few historical researchers have instead taken the byte of Nathuram Godse's brother Gopal Godse that they were all in RSS. And, he agrees that that killing happened. Gopal Godse himself accepts that he is from the RSS and he was sentenced for that," Sibal added.

Sibal further opined that many writers have spoken about the same, but no case of defamation has been filed against anyone, not even on Gopal Godse.

He added that the defamation case does not justify anything other than it clearly being a game of political oneupmanship.

"This case has come forward because of its political perspective. Let's see what happens next," he said.

The case of defamation against Gandhi was by filed by RSS worker Rajesh Kunte in a Maharashtra court for allegedly blaming the RSS for Mahatma Gandhi's assassination.