Rahul Gandhi has been sued over his comments blaming RSS for Gandhi's assassination.
Rahul Gandhi, accused of defaming the ruling BJP's ideological mentor RSS or Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, appeared at a court in Maharashtra's Bhiwandi today on his way to Goa to campaign for state polls. The court adjourned the hearing till March 3.
Mr Gandhi has been sued over his comments at a rally before the 2014 election blaming the RSS for Gandhi's assassination in 1948. Speaking to media after the adjournment, Mr Gandhi said: "My fight is against an ideology one that killed Gandhi and also the one that swapped his picture on the Khadi calendar with PM Modi."
Earlier this morning, he had confirmed in tweets that he would be in Bhiwandi before heading to Goa.
During his last appearance in November, the Congress Vice President was granted bail within minutes, but his brief visit was seized by the party to stage a political show in Bhiwandi, around 32 km from Mumbai.
Addressing Congress workers, Mr Gandhi had attacked the notes ban, announced just days before by Prime Minister Narenda Modi, and said: "I have come here for Gandhi's ideology. Gandhi said those who stand straight cannot be bent into slavery. On one side we have the mentality of freedom, on the other we have that of ghulami (slavery)."
Last year, the 45-year-old Congress leader withdrew a request to dismiss the case in Bhiwandi and told the Supreme Court that he is ready to be tried on charges of defaming the RSS.
The RSS said that it could withdraw the case if he states publicly that he does not blame it as an institution for the death of the Mahatma. Mr Gandhi, however, told the court he would "never" take back his words.
"I stand by each and every word. I will never take my words back... I am ready to go to trial," said Mr Gandhi to judges through his lawyer, former union minister Kapil Sibal.