Mumbai | Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday pleaded ‘not guilty’ in front of the Bhiwandi court in the Defamation case filled by an RSS functionary Rajesh Kunte in 2014.
The Magistrate court earlier framed charges against Rahul Gandhi under section IPC 499 & 500 for criminal defamation and set August 10 as next date of hearing. Rajesh Kunte, a local RSS functionary had filled a case against Rahul Gandhi alleging that in his speech at a political rally on March 6, 2014, the Congress president had claimed that the ‘RSS people had killed Mahatma Gandhi’.
Congress President @RahulGandhi leaves the court in Bhiwandi, Mumbai after pleading not guilty in the defamation case. #RSS #GandhiAssassination pic.twitter.com/a3UE9IvSZB
— Congress (@INCIndia) June 12, 2018
The Magistrate judges asked Mr. Gandhi that “(The complainant) says you defamed complainant’s organisation, that is RSS. Reputation of complainant and organisation was harmed … Have you received copies (of this)?” to which Rahul replied in the affirmative.
Earlier the Congress leader withdrew his petition filed in the apex court, challenging the case and said he would face the trial after the Supreme court refused to interfere with the criminal proceedings pending against him before the trial court.
During his two-day visit to Maharashtra, Rahul Gandhi is also expected to address party workers and interact with its corporators in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. While tomorrow, he is scheduled to meet the kin of Dadaji Khobragade, the rural inventor who revolutionised rice farming, at Chandrapur in Vidarbha, before returning to Delhi.
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