Rahul Gandhi, a Congress leader, filed a written application to the special MP/MLA court in Pune on May 28, 2025, marking a significant milestone in the ongoing defamation case. In this application, Gandhi asserted that the complainant, Satyaki Savarkar, is the maternal grandson of Gopal Vinayak Godse, the younger brother of Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi emphasized the significance of this familial connection and requested that the court order Satyaki to disclose his maternal ancestry, claiming that this could help expose any prejudices influencing the case.
Gandhi stated in his application:
“As per information, mother of complainant late Smt. Himani Ashok Savarkar is daughter of Gopal Vinayak Godse, younger brother of Nathuram Vinayak Godse, who killed father of nation Mahatma Gandhi on 30/01/1948 and was hanged along with his accomplice Narayan Apte on 15/11/1949.”
He further argued that Satyaki has “deliberately, systematically, very brilliantly avoided, and suppressed” his full family details, especially those from his mother’s side.According to Gandhi, this omission is important and might affect how the court views the defamation claims.
Gandhi stressed how important it is to understand the family background and connections between the Savarkar and Godse families. He explained that the complainant’s maternal grandfather, Gopal Godse, and Nathuram Godse—the man who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi—were real brothers. Both, he pointed out, shared close family and historical ties with the family of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. These relationships, he argued, are essential to consider, especially since they connect directly to the people once accused of being involved in Gandhi’s murder.
Gandhi also noted that Satyaki’s mother, Himani Ashok Savarkar, was actively involved with Hindutva groups like Abhinav Bharat and the Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Mahasabha in addition to being the daughter of Gopal Godse and the niece of Nathuram Godse.He believes that knowledge of the ideological and familial ties that unite the Godse and Savarkar families is necessary to comprehend Savarkar’s public persona.
The legal battle began in 2023 when Satyaki Savarkar filed a defamation lawsuit against Rahul Gandhi. He said Gandhi had ridiculed Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in a speech in London. Satyaki said Gandhi misquoted Savarkar when he said he liked to injure Muslims. Satyaki argues that Gandhi’s claim is completely false. He insists that Savarkar’s writings are misleading and lack any supporting evidence for Gandhi’s assertions.
The new accusations in Gandhi’s most recent submission have been noted by the presiding judge, Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Amol Shriram Shinde, who has instructed Satyaki to submit a formal response. The new date for the court hearing is June 12, 2025.