Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. (Source: PTI/File) Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. (Source: PTI/File)

The Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi over “collective denunciation” of the RSS and said he may have to face trial for his comments that RSS killed Mahatma Gandhi.

A bench led by Justice Dipak Misra reminded his counsel that the constitutional validity of criminal defamation has been upheld to ward off anarchy in the society and those making offensive statements must face trial now. “Why did you make a sweeping statement against the RSS branding everyone associated with the organisation in the same brush? You cannot collectively denounce a group,” said the bench.

WATCH: Supreme Court Pulls Up Rahul Gandhi For ‘Collective Denunciation’ Of RSS

Rahul’s counsel sought to justify his remarks saying these are historical facts and even part of the government records but the bench retorted Rahul would now have to show the truthfulness or the public good in making such statement.

The apex court added that if Rahul wanted to defend himself and was not ready to express his regret, than it will be better that he faced trial.

The bench also declined Rahul’s request for a two-week adjournment since his lawyer Kapil Sibal was not available before that and posted the matter for hearing on July 27.

“RSS people killed Gandhiji and today their people (BJP) talk of him…They opposed Sardar Patel and Gandhiji,” Rahul had said while addressing a public rally in Maharashtra’s Thane district in March 2014.

Rahul Gandhi had moved the Supreme Court in May 2015 for quashing the criminal case lodged against him for his comments against the RSS during an election rally in March 2015.

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