 "No question of Rahul apologising over RSS remarks: Congress")
Congress on Tuesday said that Rahul Gandhi will not tender an apology over his remarks against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and will instead substantiate them with historical facts and evidence before the court to support his claim.
"Mr Gandhi is a mature politician with intimate knowledge of historical facts. Congress Party and Mr Gandhi will defend these remarks at appropriate forum," Congress' chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala said.
He said, "Since the matter is pending adjudication, we will not like to comment further on the issue."
The Congress leader said that Rahul Gandhi had challenged constitutionality of defamation proceeding besides the order of the Bombay High Court wherein summoning order was challenged.
He said while the bunch of petitions challenging defamation provisions have been rejected, challenge to the Bombay High Court order is pending adjudication before the Supreme Court in a Special leave petition.
"The matter was listed today. The Supreme Court nearly adjourned the order to July 23 without passing any order. Any remark exchanged at the bar between counsel for the parties and court cannot be commented upon as the matter is subjudice," he said.
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The Supreme Court on Tuesday observed that Rahul Gandhi, who blamed RSS for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, should not have resorted to collective denunciation of an organisation and will have to face trial in the defamation case against him if he does not express regret.
"We have held it may be historically correct but the fact or the statement has to meet the test of public good. You can't make collective denunciation," the court said.