(Image source from: Twitter.com/RahulGandhi)

Rahul Gandhi, a Member of Parliament from the Congress party, has claimed that certain MPs from the BJP issued threats to him, suggesting he would "experience a similar destiny" to his grandmother, the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, due to his statements against Vinayak Damodar Savarkar during the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in 2022. On July 24, a court located in Nashik, Maharashtra, granted bail to Mr. Gandhi concerning a defamation lawsuit initiated against him because of his remarks about the Hindutva philosopher. According to Mr. Gandhi's legal representative, Milind Pawar, the Congress party has submitted a distinct request to the court to include specific crucial developments in the official judicial documents, enabling a holistic understanding of the entire political and historical situation. The Congress MP's lawyer stated that, "For the last two weeks, our client, Rahul Gandhi, has been spearheading a demonstration opposing the Election Commission. While this demonstration unfolded during the parliamentary sessions, there was a recorded verbal altercation between the Prime Minister and Rahul Gandhi concerning the term 'Hindutva'."

The lawyer further added, "Around the same time, two BJP MPs menaced Rahul Gandhi, instructing him to 'move aside' and cautioning him that he would face the identical outcome as his grandmother in the future. They further threatened him by labeling him as the foremost terrorist." Mr. Pawar asserted that a substantial source of apprehension for the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha revolved around the "ancestry" of those who had threatened him. The lawyer stated, "Given this context, we believed that due to the ongoing status of this case before the court for evidence, the comprehensive lineage at stake, and the reality that these individuals are adherents of Savarkar—coupled with Rahul Gandhi's current stance—he could be susceptible to betrayal or harm." The lawyer further clarified, "Therefore, it is imperative for this matter to be formally documented within the judicial proceedings of this court. Consequently, we submitted the application to the court today, and it has been accepted. The subsequent hearing is scheduled for September 10," he appended. Devendra Bhutada, a resident of Nashik, initiated the criminal defamation case against Mr. Gandhi. Mr. Bhutada, who serves as the director of a non-governmental organization, claimed that during a press briefing in Hingoli and a speech during his yatra, the Congress MP articulated statements that sullied Savarkar's image.