Guwahati Court defers date to pass order on summons to Rahul Gandhi in defamation case

A magisterial court in Guwahati on Tuesday deferred for August 8 its decision on whether to issue summons to Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi in a case of criminal defamation against him.

An RSS volunteer Anjan Bora had filed a criminal defamation case against Gandhi in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kamrup, claiming he had tarnished the organisation's image by saying he was not allowed by its members to enter Barpeta Satra, a 16th century Vaishnavite monastery, in Assam on December 12, 2015.

Bora said Gandhi was supposed to go to the Satra but he did not do so and instead took part in a padayatra. Two days later on December 14 Gandhi told a press conference in Delhi that he had tried to enter the Satra but was prevented from doing so by its elected members and RSS supporters.

Dubbing the Congress leader's assertion as a "blatant lie", the RSS swayam sevak said in his petition that a lot of people, including women and elected leaders of the Satra, kept waiting for Gandhi on December 12 but he did not turn up. Gandhi's claim in Delhi had brought down the image of RSS in society, Bora alleged.

The court had examined several witnesses, including elected members of the Satra, and fixed today to decide whether or not to issue summons to Gandhi as an "accused" in the case.
CJM Sanjoy Hazarika said he would pass the order on August 8.