Congress leader Rahul Gandhi appeared before a court in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra, on Saturday in connection with a 2014 defamation case linked to his remarks about the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Gandhi named the party's Maharashtra chief, Harshwardhan Sapkal, as his new guarantor following the death of former Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who had previously served as his surety. Gandhi was accompanied to the court by Sapkal and other senior party leaders.
"This is a defamation case filed by an RSS worker from Bhiwandi. The original surety, former Home Minister Shivraj Patil, passed away, which is why we had to provide a fresh surety," said Gandhi's lawyer, Narayan Iyer.
Iyer confirmed that all procedural formalities were completed successfully and reiterated their confidence in the judicial system. "We have full faith in the Indian judiciary and are confident that justice will prevail. While Gandhi has been granted permanent exemption from personal appearance in future hearings, we will present our defense witnesses at the appropriate time," he added.
Sapkal argued that Gandhi was being targeted because he had exposed the "true face" of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "He is our leader, and he is here to follow the legal process. It is clear that Rahul Gandhi is being targeted because he revealed the truth about the BJP and PM Modi," Sapkal told ANI.
The defamation case was initiated by RSS worker Rajesh Kunte, who claimed that during an election rally on March 6, 2014, Gandhi alleged that the RSS was responsible for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi had initially approached the Supreme Court to challenge the case but later withdrew his petition, stating he would face the trial.