RSS accuses Rahul Gandhi of making U-turns

New Delhi: The RSS on Thursday accused Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi of making U-turns on his remarks blaming members of the Hindutva group for assassination of Mahatma Ganghi, and asked why "he had avoided trial for two years" in defamation case filed by one of its activists.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's (RSS) publicity department chief Manmohan Vaidya tweeted that Rahul Gandhi had been avoiding trial on one pretext or the other. 

"Then why R. Gandhi avoided the trial for two years under one pretext or other? Is he scared to face truth? He keeps on taking U-turns," Vaidya said hours after Rahul Gandhi told the Supreme Court that he was ready to face trial for alleged defamation of the RSS. 

Rahul Gandhi told the apex court that he stood by his remarks blaming the RSS for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi and said he was ready to face a trial for alleged defamation of the ideological parent of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 

Rahul Gandhi's lawyer Kapil Sibal told the Supreme Court that the Congress Vice-President stood by what he had said about the RSS and the 1948 assassination of the Mahatma Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi withdrew a petition before the apex court that had sought quashing of the defamation proceeding in a Maharashtra trial court.

The bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman allowed the petition to be withdrawn but did not grant Rahul Gandhi an exemption from appearing before the trial court.

RSS activist Rajesh Kunte filed the defamation case against the Congress leader over his remarks at a 2014 election rally that people associated with the Hindutva group killed Mahatma Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi had moved the Supreme Court challenging the Bombay High Court order refusing to interfere with the defamation case against him.

The Congress leader told the Supreme Court through his lawyer last week that he did not blame the RSS but "people associated with it" for the Mahatma's assassination.