The Supreme Court on Thursday offered Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi the chance to express regret for his comment that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was responsible for Mahatma Gandhi's assassination and get rid of the defamation case filed against him on the matter.
However, Rahul turned down the Supreme Court's offer, according to the Times of India.
A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and P C Pant made the offer to Gandhi's counsel Kapil Sibal who said his clien would not express regret as there were many judgments of the apex court as well as other evidences that would prove that the defamation case filed against him was frivolous.
The bench posted the matter for hearing on February 17. Rahul Gandhi has been summoned to appear before the trial court on January 6.
The Supreme Court is then expected to pronounce its judgment on a batch of petitions, including two filed by Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal, challenging the constitutional validity of criminal defamation provisions in Indian Penal Code.
Gandhi had moved the Supreme Court in May for quashing the criminal case lodged against him for his comments against the BJP's ideological parent, the RSS, during an election rally last year, the Times of India said.
