Pune's special court has granted bail to Congress leader and Leader of Opposition (LOP) Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case related to his alleged objectionable remarks about Hindutva ideologue V.D. Savarkar. The court granted bail on a surety bond of Rs 25,000 after Rahul Gandhi appeared via video conferencing. Senior Congress leader Mohan Joshi stood as the surety before the court.
Advocate Milind Pawar, representing Rahul Gandhi, informed that the court also granted permanent exemption to the Congress leader from appearing before it. The matter is scheduled to be heard on February 18, according to Pawar.
The case was filed following a complaint from Savarkar's grandnephew, stemming from a speech Rahul Gandhi delivered in London in March 2023. During the speech, Rahul Gandhi made remarks about the freedom fighter, citing a book written by Savarkar.