Rahul Gandhi Alleges Threat To Life During Court Hearing In Savarkar Case

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's advocate Milind Pawar stated that the Leader of Opposition may "face harm and wrongful implication", stemming from comments from BJP leaders RN Bittu and Tarvinder Marwah.

The advocate stated that Bittu termed him a "terrorist" and the Marwah said he must "behave well else he may face the same fate like his grandmother", according to a report from LiveLaw.

Gandhi's counsel pointed this out during the hearing in Pune court in a defamation case, which was filed against Gandhi by Satyaki Savarkar. The case stems from the alleged defamatory remarks made by Gandhi in a speech against late Hindu nationalist Vinayak Savarkar.

Satyaki Savarkar is seeking Gandhi's conviction under Section 500 IPC and compensation under Section 357 Code of Criminal Procedure.

Pawar requested "preventative protection" for Gandhi, additionally citing that Satyaki Savarkar also claimed lineage to Nathuram Godse from his mother's side. Godse is most well known for being the man who was convicted for the murder of Mahatma Gandhi, who claimed ideological reasons for the same.

The advocate said that Savarkar's purported lineage may be an additional cause for harm and wrongful targeting of Rahul Gandhi.

"Given the documented history of violent and anti-constitutional tendencies linked to the complainant’s lineage… there exists a clear, reasonable, and substantial apprehension that Shri Rahul Gandhi may face harm, wrongful implication, or other forms of targeting," the application said.