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The Supreme Court on Friday issued a stern warning to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi regarding his controversial remarks about freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. While granting a stay on a lower court summons in connection to the comments, the top court advised Gandhi against making any further disparaging statements about national icons.
A bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Manmohan emphasized that such remarks are unacceptable, particularly when directed at figures revered in certain parts of the country. “Savarkar is worshipped in Maharashtra,” the bench noted, cautioning that Gandhi would face serious consequences if he continued making irresponsible statements.
“We will not allow any slander against our freedom fighters,” Justice Datta remarked. “Next, someone might say Mahatma Gandhi was a servant of the British. That would be equally outrageous.”
The bench referenced historical correspondence in which Mahatma Gandhi signed letters to the British Viceroy as “your faithful servant,” and noted that Gandhi’s grandmother, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, had also written in praise of Savarkar.
“They gave us our freedom, and you treat them like this?” the court asked sharply. Describing Gandhi’s previous comments as “irresponsible,” the bench reminded his legal team that while legal arguments can be sound, public discourse must also be conducted with sensitivity and historical respect.
The top court also clarified that any future derogatory comments could result in the court taking suo motu action against Gandhi. Nonetheless, the bench granted a stay on criminal proceedings initiated by a complaint filed in Uttar Pradesh by one Nripendra Pandey, who accused Gandhi of deliberately insulting Savarkar during a 2022 speech in Maharashtra’s Akola district.
The Supreme Court also issued notices to both the complainant and the Uttar Pradesh government, asking them to respond to Gandhi’s petition to dismiss the case, which was earlier upheld by the Allahabad High Court.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reacted swiftly to the Supreme Court’s remarks, downplaying the stay order as a legal technicality and emphasizing that it should not be misread as an exoneration. “This is not a reprieve—it’s a warning. Rahul Gandhi must stop mocking Savarkar or he won’t be forgiven,” said BJP leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain.
Notably, Rahul Gandhi was not present in court during the hearing. He was in Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir, meeting with victims of a recent terror attack in Pahalgam that left 26 people dead, most of them civilians.
The attack, reportedly carried out by militants from The Resistance Front—a group believed to be linked to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba—has prompted strong diplomatic action from New Delhi. India has already suspended visa services and invoked aspects of the Indus Water Treaty in response.
In retaliation, Pakistan has closed its airspace to Indian flights and halted engagement under the Simla Agreement, adding to escalating tensions in the wake of the tragic event.
