Mumbai: Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to appear before a court in Bhiwandi on Saturday in connection with a RSS defamation case filed against him in 2014. The appearance is necessitated by procedural requirements, as Gandhi has to sign a bond and furnish a new guarantor following the death of his earlier guarantor, Shivraj Patil.
Confirming the development, advocate Narayan Iyer, who is representing Gandhi, said on Friday that the Congress leader will personally remain present before the Bhiwandi court. Speaking to ANI, Iyer explained that since Shivraj Patil, who stood as Gandhi’s guarantor, has passed away, the court has asked for a new guarantor to be presented. Accordingly, Gandhi will sign the bond afresh and complete the formalities during Saturday’s hearing.
The defamation case dates back to 2014 and is currently in the evidence stage. Advocate Iyer said the complainant, identified as Rajesh, is the chief witness in the matter and has already been cross-examined. The second witness, Ashok Saikar, who had investigated the private complaint at the time, has been examined, but his cross-examination under Section 202 of the Criminal Procedure Code is still pending. He clarified that Saturday’s proceedings are expected to focus mainly on the acceptance of the new guarantor and no cross-examination is likely to take place on that day.
“The hearing is underway, and we have full faith in the court. Tomorrow’s appearance is primarily for submitting a new guarantor and signing the bond,” Iyer said.
Meanwhile, a day ahead of his court appearance, Rahul Gandhi also wrote to Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) national convenor Nasir Khuehami, responding to concerns over recent attacks on Kashmiri students and shawl sellers reported from various parts of the country. In his letter, Gandhi expressed deep concern over what he described as a growing wave of violence and intimidation against members of the Kashmiri community.
The Congress leader said the politics of hate has weakened institutions and fractured the social fabric of the nation. He alleged that forces, encouraged either tacitly or overtly by the ruling dispensation, have unleashed a reign of terror against minorities and marginalised groups. Gandhi stated that the Congress strongly condemns violence in all forms and will continue to fight hate and stand for the dignity, security and equal citizenship of all.
The letter comes amid increasing concern over repeated incidents of harassment and assaults targeting Kashmiri students and seasonal traders across several states, an issue that the JKSA has been actively raising with political leaders and authorities.
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