Never blamed RSS as a body for Mahatma Gandhi's killing: Rahul Gandhi to SC

In regard to the defamation complaint against him, he said he blamed a person associated to RSS, not the institution

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Wednesday told the Supreme Court that he had never blamed RSS as an institution that killed Mahatma Gandhi but had stated that a person associated with it was responsible for his assassination.

A bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and R S Nariman, which was hearing the petition filed by Gandhi challenging the summons issued to him as an accused in a defamation case, said it will dispose of the petition if the complainant agreed.

The bench noted that the Congress leader had filed an affidavit in the Bombay High Court while seeking quashing of the defamation complaint against him stating that, at an election rally, he had not blamed RSS as an institution for the assassination of Gandhi but a person associated with it.

The bench, which posted the matter for September 1, asked the complainant's counsel and senior advocate U R Lalit to seek instruction whether the complainant was ready to end the case if Gandhi's statement is taken on record.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Congress Vice President, drew the attention of the bench to the affidavit filed in the high court.

The bench, which heard the matter for about half-an-hour, said "what we understand is that the accused never blamed RSS as an institution that killed Mahatma Gandhi but the person associated with it.