Savarkar Never Hated Muslims; Rahul Gandhi Defamed Him By Portaying Him As Muslim-Hater : Kin Tells Court
Narsi Benwal
1 Sept 2026 8:36 PM IST
"I do not know whether the RSS follows the ideology of Savarkar," Satyaki testified.
Right-wing ideologue Vinayak Savarkar's grand nephew Satyaki on Tuesday (September 1) told a Special MP/MLA Court in Pune that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by delivering his speech in London, 'defamed' his granduncle (Savarkar) by portraying him as an 'extreme hater' of Muslims. The court was told that in fact, Savarkar never hated Muslims.
Notably, Satyaki has initiated a criminal defamation case against Gandhi for defaming Savarkar by delivering a speech in London. He is presently being cross-examined by Gandhi's lawyer Milind Pawar before Special Judge Amol Shinde.
On Tuesday, when Satyaki was asked what exactly he considered defamatory in Gandhi's speech, he drew attention to a sentence in which Gandhi allegedly read from a book purportedly written by Savarkar. The passage recounts an incident in which Savarkar and some of his friends allegedly assaulted a Muslim man, following which Savarkar is said to have felt a sense of satisfaction.
"By these words, Savarkar was portrayed as an extreme hater of Muslims and as a mob lyncher. Savarkar never hated Muslims. Rather, in his writings, he showed the ways and means for their progress," Satyaki said.
Further in his cross-examination, Satyaki admitted that on December 12, 2025, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had unveiled a statue of Savarkar in Andaman. He said he was not aware if the RSS follows the ideology of Savarkar.
"It is true to say that, on December 12, 2025, a statue of Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was unveiled at Andaman by RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat and Union Minister Amit Shah. We had no information about that programme. Further, no permission of our family was obtained while unveiling the said statue. I do not know whether the RSS follows the ideology of Savarkar," Satyaki testified.
In his cross-examination, Satyaki also admitted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken in the Parliament, referring to the ongoing case against Gandhi over defaming Savarkar, on July 3, 2024.
Further, the court allowed Pawar to bring on record, a transcript along with the video interview of Gopal Godse, the maternal grandfather of Satyaki and also the elder brother of Nathuram Godse.
The transcript taken on record, speaks about how Gopal Godse criticised the RSS for considering Hindu Maha Sabha, the political front then, as a competitor. He had pointed out that despite Savarkar leading the Hindu Maha Sabha for several years as a President, the RSS, considered it as a competition even when the organisation (RSS) itself had claimed that it would not enter into politics.
"As their strength grew, they began to view the Hindu Mahasabha as a rival—a rival in their sphere of influence, their activities, and their path; a genuine competitor had emerged. It is natural, after all—much like a thief accusing another of being a thief—that as their power increased, they came to regard the Hindu Mahasabha as a rival," Godse stated in the interview, which was taken on record.
In the interview, Godse further criticised the RSS for not taking a 'firm' stance in the case of Mahatma Gandhi's assassination despite Nathuram being an RSS man.
"The Sangh did not take the firm stance it ought to have taken. Nathuram was a Sangh Swayamsevak. No, no—don't say he never was one; he was one. However, it was not part of the Sangh's outreach or agenda to kill Gandhiji. So, one must accept the facts as they are. Furthermore, there is a saying: If the burden falls upon the body, shoulder it. If people say that Nathuram—the man who committed the act—was a Sangh Swayamsevak, then let them say it. After all, who else but a Swayamsevak could possess the daring to do such a thing? Only a Swayamsevak could do it. So, when it comes to the crunch, they run away. The point is, you must speak the truth—the reality of the situation—without giving in to fear. If you are afraid to speak the truth, you will perish," Godse had said in the interview.
The cross-examination will continue on September 3.
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.
Case Title: Satyaki Savarkar vs Rahul Gandhi
Previously -
Savarkar Objected To Cow Worship, Treated It Only As A Useful Animal : Grandnephew Tells Pune Court
Savarkar Wrote Book Questioning God's Existence & Religious Beliefs : Grandnephew Tells Court
