Rahul Gandhi’s lawyer raises ‘life threat’ in court without consent, to withdraw

The Congress on Wednesday said its party leader Rahul Gandhi’s lawyer himself raised the issue of threat to his life in court without his consent, hours after it was said that Lok Sabha’s Leader of Opposition (LoP) may be facing a threat to his life from “persons subscribing to the ideology of Vinayak Savarkar” in connection with a criminal defamation case filed against him over his remarks against Savarkar.

Soon after the reports of Gandhi’s threat to life went out, the Congress issued a statement while sharing the press statement of the lawyer Milind D Pawar, which stated that the contents of the letter were framed by him without consulting his client. Pawar in his statement also stated that his client has taken strong exception to this letter. “I shall file a formal application tomorrow for withdrawal of the said ‘pursis’ before the Hon’ble Court,” Pawar said in his press release.

“Mr Rahul Gandhi’s lawyer raised the issue of threat to his life in court without his consent. Mr Gandhi has strong objection to this and tomorrow his lawyer will take back this statement in court,” Congress’ chairman of publicity department Pawan Khera said in a post on X.

Earlier, Advocate Pawar, in an application filed before the Special MP/MLA Court in Pune on Wednesday, cited threat letters issued against the Congress leader by leaders belonging to BJP and the lineage of the complainant against Gandhi. He said “there exists a clear, reasonable, and substantial apprehension that Gandhi may face harm, wrongful implication, or other forms of targeting by persons subscribing to the ideology of Vinayak Savarkar”.

Gandhi has often criticised Savarkar’s ideology, while accusing him of being a “receiver of pension from Britishers”. Pawar cited the documented history of violent and anti-constitutional tendencies linked to the complainant’s lineage, and the “prevailing political climate” in the country to justify the claim that Gandhi may be facing a threat to his life.