Supreme Court Quashes Defamation Case Against Rahul Gandhi Over Savarkar Remarks

The Supreme Court has quashed a defamation case against Rahul Gandhi related to remarks he made about Vinayak Savarkar. This decision was made after the Uttar Pradesh government denied the necessary sanction for prosecution under Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code, which addresses the promotion of enmity between groups.

A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu stated that without prior sanction from the Centre or the state, prosecution under the stated section is not permissible. The court's ruling further nullified both a complaint filed by Nripendra Pandey and the subsequent summons issued by a Lucknow Magistrate.

The BJP has criticized Rahul Gandhi's remarks regarding Prime Minister Modi, describing them as 'uncultured, crude and vulgar.' Education Minister Pralhad Joshi urged Gandhi to adopt a more mature approach to leadership, emphasizing the need for seriousness in governance rather than what he called 'amateur dramatics.'

The order from the Supreme Court not only absolves Gandhi of the defamation charge but also reflects on legal prerequisites for prosecuting cases involving allegations of promoting enmity, reiterating the importance of following legal protocols.