Mumbai: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday appeared before a court in Thane district in connection with a defamation case filed against him by a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker.
Once inside the courtroom, Rahul takes stand and the judge starts reading out charges against the Congress president. The judge asked Rahul if he has received copies of the complaint, to which Rahul says 'yes'.
"Do you plead guilty?" the judge asked. "I plead not guilty," was Rahul's firm answer.
The court had on May 2 asked Gandhi to appear before it to record his plea in the defamation case filed in 2014 by RSS worker Rajesh Kunte.
Kunte had filed the case after watching Rahul Gandhi's speech at an election rally in which he had claimed that the RSS was behind the killing of Mahatma Gandhi.
"The RSS people had killed (Mahatma) Gandhi," the Congress president had allegedly said in the rally.
During his two-day visit to Maharashtra, Rahul Gandhi is also expected to address party workers and interact with its corporators in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
On Wednesday, he is scheduled to meet the kin of Dadaji Khobragade, the rural inventor who revolutionised rice farming, at Chandrapur in Vidarbha, before returning to Delhi.
Khobragade, 78, died earlier this month after a prolonged illness.
Contrary to media reports, Rahul Gandhi's itinerary doesn't mention any meeting with NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, the leader said.
"Top leaders (of both the parties) can meet any time. But no such meeting is on the agenda today," he said.
"Rahulji will appear before the court in the morning, address party workers in the afternoon and interact with Congress corporators about Mumbai's civic issues," the leader added.
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