Rahul Gandhi allegedly linked journalist Gauri Lankesh's killing with the "BJP-RSS ideology" (File)

Rahul Gandhi will appear in a court in Mumbai shortly in connection with a defamation case filed by an RSS worker against him for allegedly linking journalist Gauri Lankesh's killing with the "BJP-RSS ideology".

The Mazgaon metropolitan magistrate's court, in February, issued summons to Rahul Gandhi and CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury in response to a private complaint filed by Dhrutiman Joshi, a lawyer and worker of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS.

Mr Joshi had filed the complaint in 2017 against Rahul Gandhi, the then Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and its general secretary Sitaram Yechury.

A private complaint is filed to seek directions from the court to the police to investigate a particular matter.

Gauri Lankesh was shot dead outside her house in Bengaluru in September 2017.

Mr Joshi said that within 24 hours of her death, Rahul Gandhi told reporters that "anybody who speaks against the ideology of the BJP, against the ideology of the RSS, is pressured, beaten, attacked, and even killed."

The complaint also said that Sitaram Yechury stated that it was the RSS' ideology and RSS people who killed the journalist.

The court issued summons against Rahul Gandhi and Sitaram Yechury but dismissed the complaint against Sonia Gandhi and the CPI(M), saying a party cannot be held liable for comments made by individuals.

Rahul Gandhi is facing another defamation case at Bhiwandi in neighbouring Thane district, filed by a local RSS worker, for allegedly blaming the Sangh for Mahatma Gandhi's assassination.