Vidushi Vats
The court’s issuance of the notice to Rahul Gandhi stems from a criminal revision plea, which contested a prior June order that had dismissed complaints against the Congress leader. Notably, the court opted to transfer the case to the Additional Sessions Judge/MP-MLA court in Lucknow, underlining that the revisions merited consideration for admission due to their implication in both factual and legal aspects. As it stands, the next hearing is slated for November 1, 2023.
Advocate Nripendra Pandey, presently responsible for lodging the plea contesting the former order, had previously approached the ACJM court in pursuit of the registration of an FIR against Gandhi, citing his remarks concerning Savarkar. Within his plea, Pandey contended that by characterizing Savarkar as a subservient figure to the British who received a pension from the colonial regime, the Congress leader was allegedly endeavoring to sow seeds of animosity within society.
Pandey articulated that even though Mahatma Gandhi had acknowledged Savarkar as a patriot, Rahul Gandhi’s statements were generating animosity and societal discord by disseminating perspectives that were deemed unwarranted. As a consequence, the complainant purportedly endured considerable physical and psychological distress.