File photo of Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi is on the same side as Arvind Kejriwal and BJP leader Subramanian Swamy in a case that was taken up in the Supreme Court today. The leaders, politically poles apart, are united against defamation laws and have been tagged together by the court.
The court stayed defamation proceedings against Mr Gandhi for allegedly blaming the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS - the ruling BJP's ideological mentor - for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi while campaigning for the national election last year.
The court also exempted him from appearing in a court in Maharashtra, where the case was filed.
Mr Gandhi had asked the court to stay the proceedings on the same grounds used by Arvind Kejriwal and Subramanian Swamy.
The court has clubbed Mr Gandhi's petition with those of Mr Kejriwal and Mr Swamy and said it will take up all the cases on July 8.
Mr Swamy, sued by the Tamil Nadu government, had challenged the defamation law in October, calling it a violation of his fundamental rights and freedom of speech.
Arvind Kejiriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, also cited similar reasons in a defamation case against him. Both leaders were granted a stay.
Mr Gandhi's petition also challenges the constitutional validity of the criminal provisions of defamation.