Decriminalise defamation: Rahul
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, fighting a defamation case for his utterances on the RSS involvement in the killing of Mahatma Gandhi has intervened in the Subramaniam Swamy petition seeking decriminalising of defamation. The provisions are antiquated and have a chilling effect on free speech, his petition said. Interestingly, in 1988, following public protests, his father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had backed down on a Defamation Bill citing his commitment to a free press.