Bhopal: Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has been ordered by a Thane court in Maharashtra to issue a written apology for defaming former RSS chief MS Golwalkar, known as Golwalkar Guruji, in a social media post on platform X. The Magistrate, P Suryawanshi, specified that Digvijaya Singh should personally sign the apology letter. RSS member Vivek Champanerkar filed a defamation case against Singh for a contentious post made on July 7, 2023. Champanerkar sought compensation of one rupee, alleging that Singh's post caused disrepute to the RSS and personally hurt him.

Champanerkar filed a civil defamation case in the Thane Magistrate Court, citing Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for defamation. Despite a summons issued to Singh on October 6, 2023, he did not appear in court. At the recent hearing on January 4, Singh's attorney argued that the contentious post had been removed, and therefore, there was no basis for continuing the defamation lawsuit.

Attorneys Aditya Mishra and Surabhi Pandey, representing Vivek Champanerkar, objected to dismissing the case without a written apology from Digvijaya Singh. Magistrate P Suryawanshi postponed the hearing until January 29 but instructed Singh to submit a personally signed apology letter to the court.

On July 7, 2023, Digvijaya Singh's tweet questioned Golwalkar's views on Dalits, OBCs, Muslims, and national rights over resources. The tweet included a picture with controversial text allegedly quoting Golwalkar's book 'We and Our Nationhood Identified.' The image claimed that Golwalkar advocated handing over government wealth to a few trusted rich individuals, making the majority of people beggars. Golwalkar was also purported to have said in 1940 that he preferred serving the British over freedom that granted equal rights to Dalits, OBCs, and Muslims. An FIR against Singh was lodged in Indore in connection with these allegations.

Pakistan's Senate Approves Resolution to Postpone General Election on February 8

Supreme Court Upholds Chief Minister's Authority in Arrested Minister V Senthil Balaji's Case

CBI Challenges Karnataka Government's Decision on Shivakumar's Disproportionate Assets Case