Satyaki Savarkar testified in a Pune special MP/MLA court during cross-examination by Rahul Gandhi's counsel Milind Pawar.
Satyaki stated that the Indian National Congress passed a resolution during its 1923 Kakinada session demanding V D Savarkar's release.
The defamation suit was filed after Rahul Gandhi alleged in London in March 2023 that V D Savarkar wrote about delighting in beating a Muslim man.
Satyaki Savarkar, the nephew of VD Savarkar testified in a special MP/MLA court in Pune on Wednesday. He said the Indian National Congress passed a resolution during its 1923 Kakinada session demanding the release of his granduncle VD Savarkar.
This showcased broader political support in favour of his release downplaying the claim that mercy petitions written by his granduncle was the reason he was freed.
Satyaki initiated the defamation suit following Rahul's speech to the Indian diaspora in London in March 2023. Rahul, who currently serves as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, had alleged that VD Savarkar wrote a book stating he and his friends felt delight while beating a Muslim man. Satyaki said his granduncle never authored such a book and that the described incident never occurred.
The 1923 Congress Resolution
The 1923 INC resolution stated: "But Mr. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar has not been released and this is the reason why we are making an exception in condemning the action of the Government with regard to one single prisoner. The reason is that this poor man is being most vindictively kept in jail, when he is entitled to be released."
Satyaki said he would present a copy of this document from the National Archives of India during the upcoming court date adding that the execution of freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru might have been prevented had Congress passed a comparable resolution for them.
No Mercy Petitions
Satyaki said allegations regarding his granduncle's correspondence with the British were incorrect. He said VD Savarkar did not employ "submissive" terms or "express loyalty" in his applications.
"Savarkar was not released due to mercy petitions...My complaint is not related to who has submitted how many petitions and who was released. Therefore, I did not file any document in that respect," Satyaki told the court on Wednesday.
V D Savarkar spent 10 years in the Cellular Jail, also known as Kala Pani, at Andaman from 1911 to 1921. Authorities then moved him to the mainland Ratnagiri jail until 1924, when he received a conditional release, and subsequently restricted his movements to the Ratnagiri district until 1937.
Following court directives, the Pune City police submitted an inquiry report on May 27, 2024, indicating prima facie evidence of defamation by Rahul. Rahul pleaded not guilty to the charges in July last year.
