Pune: Rahul Gandhi, the opposition leader in Lok Sabha and prominent Congress member, has been ordered by a Pune court to appear for a hearing in a defamation case on October 23.

The case was initiated by Satyaki Ashok Savarkar, the grandson of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, who has raised objections against comments made by Gandhi during a speech in the United Kingdom last year.

The allegations stem from remarks made by Rahul Gandhi during a speech at an Overseas Congress meeting in England on March 5, 2023. Satyaki Savarkar claims that Gandhi's comments were not only defamatory but also intentionally designed to harm her grandfather's reputation.

She asserts that Rahul Gandhi has been involved in a sustained campaign of defamation against Savarkar for reasons known only to him.

The complaint states that Gandhi's accusations are false and aimed at disparaging the "Savarkar" surname while deliberately hurting the sentiments of the Savarkar family.

On September 27, a court in Nashik had also issued a notice to Rahul Gandhi regarding his statements about Savarkar.

This legal matter is related to a statement made by Gandhi in November 2022, in which the complainant alleges that he knowingly caused harm to Savarkar's image.

The ongoing discourse around statements made by Congress leaders regarding Savarkar has gained traction, especially as the BJP has frequently targeted Rahul Gandhi over these issues.

Recently, Karnataka Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao stirred controversy by claiming that Savarkar had no objections to cow slaughter.

In response to these comments, Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader, Devendra Fadnavis, criticized those insulting Savarkar and reaffirmed the BJP's stance on the matter.