Rahul Gandhi Raises Safety Concerns in Pune Court Amid Savarkar Defamation Case

Savarkar Defamation Case: Rahul Gandhi Tells Pune Court He Faces Threat to Life, Cites Complainant’s Godse Lineage

Pune, August 13, 2025: Congress leader and Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi has raised serious concerns about his personal safety during the ongoing defamation case related to Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

The defamation suit was filed by Satyaki Savarkar, the grandnephew of Vinayak Savarkar, over remarks made by Rahul Gandhi in March 2023. Gandhi had claimed that Savarkar and his associates had assaulted a Muslim man and treated it “pleasurably.” Satyaki Savarkar contended that no such incident exists in Savarkar’s writings and labeled Gandhi’s statement as false and defamatory.

During the Pune court hearing on August 13, 2025, Rahul Gandhi stated that he faces a threat to his life, citing the complainant’s lineage. He highlighted that Satyaki Savarkar is a descendant of Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, and raised concerns about a documented history of violence and anti-constitutional tendencies linked to the complainant’s family. Gandhi urged the state government to provide preventive protection.

Responding to Gandhi’s claims, Satyaki Savarkar dismissed them as frivolous and suggested that the application was an attempt to delay the trial.

The Pune court will now review Gandhi’s safety concerns and decide on the next steps in the defamation case.

Sources: Livemint, Economic Times, Times of India