The Rahul Gandhi-RSS case is set to take
a new turn with Rajesh Kunte, RSS Karyawah of Bhiwandi who filed the
defamation case against the Congress Vice President put forth a
condition for the withdrawal of the case.
In a telephonic conversation with www.newsbharati.com
Kunte said that the case could be withdrawn only and only if the
Congress Vice President tenders a written apology again and give an
undertaking in the Supreme Court that he would not repeat the allegation
against the RSS for the assassination of the Mahatma.
Kunte, who filed a criminal defamation
case against Rahul Gandhi for his statement holding the RSS responsible
for the killing of Mahatma Gandhi, has ruled out any settlement after
the Congress leader’s tweet in which he re-affirmed his commitment to
what he had said earlier. “I stand by each and every word I said”, Rahul
Gandhi had tweeted soon after the SC accepted his counsel Kapil Sibal’s
argument.
The Supreme Court on August 24 indicated
that it was interested in closing the case. This was evident from the
inference the SC bench drew from Kapil Sibal’s argument that “Rahul says
that he has never accused RSS as an institution behind the Gandhi
murder and only some people associated with the RSS, then that should
do... We can close the matter”.
The SC will hear the case on September 1. Against this background, Kunte told www.newsbharati.com
that Rahul’s tweet is enough indication that he continues to blame RSS
for the crime it did not commit. In such a situation, withdrawal of the
case is not possible, he said.
He, however, said that only a written
apology could be the basis for settlement or else let Rahul face the
trial. Kunte’s lawyer had sought time from the apex court to take
instructions from his client when the SC indicated that it was inclined
to close the case. The SC granted his request and gave him a week’s
time.
Rahul’s reaffirming his earlier
statement in a tweet is seen as a setback to Sibal’s attempt to get the
case settled. Kunte said that he would be happy if the Supreme Court
sent back the case to the Bhiwandi Magistrate court to be heard on its
merits.
Meanwhile, Union I & B Minister M
Venkaiah Naidu commented on Rahul’s statement in the Supreme Court
saying , “Good, Rahul finally admitted before the SC that RSS is not
accused in the Mahatma’s killing”. This provoked the Congress
Vice-President to reaffirm his stand through a tweet.
During an earlier hearing, when Sibal
clarified that Rahul had not blamed the entire RSS organisation for the
assassination, the bench had said the only way out for Rahul was by
proving the statement was for public good.
“We feel the case should be decided on
merits. Was the statement made for public good or not? Else, face the
trial,” the court had said. Kunte had filed the complaint in a Bhiwandi
(Maharashtra) court, stating that Rahul Gandhi had said at an election
rally in Thane district on March 6, 2014 that “RSS ke logon ne Gandhiji ko goli mari” (RSS people killed Gandhiji).
The magistrate in Bhiwandi initiated
proceedings on Kunte's complaint and issued a notice to Rahul directing
him to appear before it. Rahul approached Bombay High Court seeking
quashing of the defamation case, which dismissed his plea March 10. The
apex court is hearing Rahul's plea challenging the HC order.
Courtesy: NewsBharati
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