New Delhi, 14 August 2026: Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has got a big relief from the Supreme Court in the matter of allegedly making derogatory remarks against Veer Savarkar. The Supreme Court has canceled the summons issued against Rahul Gandhi by the lower court in this case. The Supreme Court has clarified that necessary permission was not taken to conduct a legal case in this matter.
The bench of Justice Dipankar Dutta and Justice Sheel Nagoon noted during the hearing that the necessary approval has not been obtained in this case as per the legal procedure. The division bench had said that there was no mention of approval even in the affidavit filed by the Uttar Pradesh government. Keeping this in mind, the court has quashed both the original complaint and the summons order passed by the magistrate.
These defamation cases are related to the comments made by Rahul Gandhi regarding Veer Savarkar during the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' organized in Akola district of Maharashtra on 17 November 2022. A complaint was filed by lawyer Nripendra Pandey regarding this statement, in which it was alleged that Rahul Gandhi had deliberately insulted Veer Savarkar and it was part of a well-planned conspiracy to defame him.
Earlier, on the application challenging the court order, the High Court had asked Rahul Gandhi to file an application in the Sessions Court, against which the matter had reached the Supreme Court. Ultimately the Supreme Court has canceled this action against Rahul Gandhi due to lack of legal sanction.