'Swatantryaveer' Title Given To Savarkar Not By Govt But By A Writer : Savarkar's Grandnephew Tells Pune Court

In the ongoing criminal defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks against right-wing ideologue Vinayak Savarkar, the latter's grandnephew on Wednesday (April 8) told a special MP/MLA court that the title 'Swatantryaveer' (brave freedom fighter) was not given to Savarkar by the Government.

Savarkar's grandnephew - Satyaki, who is the complainant in the case, is presently being 'cross-examined' by Gandhi's counsel Milind Pawar and is testifying before Special Judge Amol Shinde.

On Wednesday, while recording his evidence, Satyaki told the court that the title 'Swatantryaveer' was not conferred by any Government on Savarkar but by a writer named Sadashiv Ranade, who wrote a biography on the right-ring leader.

"It is true to say that 'Swatantryaveer' title is not granted by Government to Savarkar. It is not true to say that the title of Swatantryaveer was not bestowed upon him by the people. It is true to say that I do not have any documentary evidence to show that the people conferred the title of Swatantryaveer on Savarkar. It is true to say that, the title of Swatantryaveer is given to Savarkar in the biography written by Sadashiv Ranade. I do not know whether the title given to Savarkar by Ranade was his imagination," the testimony in the court states. 

Further, in his testimony, Satyaki accepted the fact that during the British rule in India, Savarkar went to London for his studies and lived there for four years. He agreed that Savarkar wrote several books and articles during his stay in London and that some of his books were 'secretly' published in someone's else's name to avoid the attention of the Britishers. 

"It is not true to say that, while Savarkar was in London and Paris, all revolutionists in the world were banned from writing. It is true to say that, many of the books written by Savarkar were published under the name of different authors. It is true to say that many books and other writings written by Savarkar are available in the London Libraries and Archives. It is true to say that Savarkar's writings were secretly published under someone else's name, avoiding the attention of the British," Satyaki stated. 

Satyaki also affirmed that there are several books written by Savarkar and also some published in the names of other authors (but written by him) which are available in India and also in London, and which are being researched by students and historians. He, however, accepted that he had no idea, as to what these books contain and what is written in the books available in India and London markets. 

"It is true to say that I cannot tell how many books there are, what kind they are, or how many of them there are. It is not true to say that, I don't know who owns that books or what it contains. I am a writer but not a historian. It is true to say that I am not aware of what writers, historians and students in London have written about Savarkar. It is true to say that Savarkar's biography has been written by many authors. It is not true to say that, biography is written on the basis of autobiography," Satyaki has testified. 

Satyaki's cross-examination will continue further April 13. 

Background:

The defamation complaint asserts that Gandhi has repeatedly defamed Savarkar on various occasions over the years. One specific incident highlighted was on March 5, 2023, when Gandhi addressed the Overseas Congress in the United Kingdom.

The complainant, Satyaki Savarkar, has claimed that Gandhi intentionally made wild allegations against Savarkar, knowing them to be untrue, with the intention of harming Savarkar's reputation and causing mental agony to the complainant and his family. He states that the defamatory speech was delivered in England, but its impact was felt in Pune as it was published and circulated throughout India.

Satyaki, in his complaint, has submitted several news reports and a YouTube link to a video of Gandhi's speech in London as evidence. He has claimed that Gandhi falsely accused Savarkar of writing a book in which he described beating up a Muslim person, which Savarkar never wrote and such an incident never happened.

Satyaki argued that Gandhi made these false, malicious, and wild allegations with the specific objective of defaming Savarkar and harming his reputation.

The criminal defamation application filed by Satyaki demands maximum punishment for Gandhi under Section 500 (Punishment for defamation) of the IPC and seeks imposition of maximum compensation as per Section 357 (Order to pay compensation) of the CrPC.