Mumbai, April 11, 2019: The Thane sessions court on April 8 issued a notice to human rights and political rights activist John Dayal directing him to be present in the court on April 22 for hearing in a defamation case filed by a worker of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

RSS worker Vivek Champanerkar had filed the plea through advocate Aditya Mishra. He alleged that Mr. Dayal — the secretary general, president and vice-president of the All India Catholic Union — said on a talk show that the RSS had killed Mahatma Gandhi.

The plea said, “On July 12, 2018, Mr. Dayal uttered unfounded, false and baseless allegations against the RSS in a debate on a TV news channel. He said, ‘The RSS spreads fear. The RSS kills remember. The RSS killed Gandhi.’ Till date there has been no judgement pronounced by any court of law or report submitted by any commission of inquiry substantiating the statements.” The joint civil judge senior division had issued a notice to the activist on March 11.

Mr. Dayal told The Hindu, “I am not going. In what capacity is an individual suing me?”

(The Hindu)