Defamation complaint against Rahul Gandhi for calling RSS 'Kauravas'

Trouble seems to be mounting for Rahul Gandhi with a criminal defamation complaint filed in a Haridwar court against the Congress leader for his remark during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in January in which he described the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) as "21st century Kauravas".

Advocate Arun Bhadoria has filed the complaint on behalf of Kamal Bhadoria, who he said was an RSS volunteer. The court will take up the complaint on April 12.

"We have filed the complaint under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), he was quoted saying by Hindustan Times.

The two provisions relate to criminal defamation and prescribe a maximum jail term of two years.

What did Rahul Gandhi say?

Targeting the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Rahul Gandhi called its members the "21st century Kauravas" and alleged they never say "Har Har Mahadev" and "Jai Siya Ram" as they are against India's values and "tapasya".

"Who were the Kauravas? I will first tell you about the 21st-century Kauravas, they wear khakhi half-pants, carry lathis in hands, and hold shakhas.... India's 2-3 billionaires are standing with these Kauravas," Rahul said while addressing a street-corner meeting after the Bharat Jodo Yatra

"Did the Pandavas do demonetisation, implement the wrong GST? Would they have ever done so? Never. Why? Because they were tapasvis and they knew that demonetisation, wrong GST, farm laws are a way to steal from tapasvis of this land.... (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi did sign on these decisions, but the power of India's 2-3 billionaires was behind it, whether you agree or not," he told the gathering.

"RSS people never say Har Har Mahadev, you note this. Why they never say so. I thought about this. Because Lord Shiva was a 'tapasvi" and they are attacking on India's 'tapasya', that is why they cannot say Har Har Mahadev," he said.

"...they never say Jai Siya Ram. They have taken out Sita ji from this. They have worked against our history, our values. And when any Congress worker meets an RSS worker, he should be asked to greet by saying Jai Siya Ram because Sita was as important as Ram," he said.