Perjury plea filed against Rahul Gandhi for ‘misleading court’ in Savarkar defamation case

PUNE: A perjury application has been filed against Congress MP and Opposition leader (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of misleading the court in a defamation case linked to his remarks on freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar “Veer” Savarkar.

Advocate Sangram Kolhatkar, representing Satyaki Savarkar, the grandnephew of Veer Savarkar, filed the application against the Congress leader on Wednesday, alleging that he misled the court by repeatedly denying receipt of evidence linked to his controversial speeches in London.

According to the application, despite the court records showing that Gandhi had been provided with relevant evidence, including copies of the speeches on multiple occasions, he continued to maintain that he had never received them.

#WATCH | Pune, Maharashtra: On defamation case against Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, Advocate Sangram Kolhatkar, counsel of complainant Satyaki Savarkar, says, “We have filed a perjury application against the accused Rahul Gandhi. Earlier, we had supplied the… pic.twitter.com/tgeELGDfTq

— ANI (@ANI) August 13, 2025

Advocate Kolhatkar alleged that instead of acknowledging these documents, Gandhi submitted a pursis (written statement) accusing Satyaki Savarkar of contempt of court. He requested the court to initiate perjury proceedings against Gandhi for allegedly making false statements.

Sangram Kolhatkar said, ” We have filed a perjury application against the accused Rahul Gandhi. Earlier, we had supplied the relevant copies to the advocate of the accused. He had received all the copies. He has signed the document before the Court…He blatantly denies receiving any such material provided by us. The accused is misleading the court. Hence, we very strictly demand that action be initiated against the accused, as the accused holds a constitutional post, the leader of the opposition. So, we have filed a perjury application against Rahul Gandhi. On the 10th of September, the advocate for the accused is going to file a reply to this”.

Earlier, a defamation case was filed against Rahul Gandhi after his remarks in London in March 2023, where he reportedly made statements about Indian democracy and political leaders that Satyaki Savarkar claims were defamatory towards his granduncle, Veer Savarkar. These remarks were reportedly made during an Overseas Congress gathering in London on March 5, 2023.

Following the statement made by Rahul Gandhi, Satyaki Savarkar, the grandson of one of Vinayak Savarkar’s brothers, filed a defamation complaint in a Magistrate court in Pune in April 2023, later in the Special MP MLA court, alleging that Gandhi’s remarks insulted the legacy of the freedom fighter and caused hurt to his followers.

According to the complaint, Gandhi intentionally made false and damaging accusations against Savarkar to tarnish his reputation, causing mental distress to him and his family. The court is now expected to hear arguments on September 10, the next hearing date. (ANI)