Rahul says no to SC offer, refuses to regret statement on RSS

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday turned down a suggestion by the Supreme Court to express regret for his comment holding Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) responsible for Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination and get the defamation case buried.

A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Prafulla C Pant gave an offer to senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Congress leader, who, however, submitted he could not express regret as there were many judgments of the apex court as well as other evidences that would prove that the defamation case filed against him was frivolous.

Taking up Rahul’s plea for quashing defamation case at Bhiwandi court, the bench said: “If you want to close this chapter, we think like this.... If the petitioner (Gandhi) should show an impression of regret, then only he (complainant) would settle this. This can be ended in a decent way and get the defamation case buried.”

As Sibal, along with senior advocate Mahalakshmi Pavani, did not agree to the suggestion, the court put the matter for consideration on February 17.

The counsel also submitted the proceedings in the instant matter could also be based on pending judgment of the apex court on a host of petitions, including the one by Rahul, for reading down the defamation provisions.