FOC
HRD Minister, Arjun Singh and editor-in-chief of The Hindu newspaper, N.Ram, M/S Kasturi & Sons Ltd, through its Managing Director, (owner of The Hindu) and P. Balachandran, printer of the newspaper, New Delhi have been ordered to appear in person before the court of Shri Atul Marya, Judicial Magistrate, Ist Class, Jagadhari (Haryana) on January 31, 2005. The summons have been issued on a defamation complaint filed by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) through its Haryana Prant Sanghachalak, Darshan Lal Jain.
Shri Arjun Singh had made a statement at a meeting of the Freedom Fighters’ Cell of AICC on August 8, 2004 linking RSS with the killing of Mahatma Gandhi. The news was published in The Hindu. The RSS sent a legal notice to him asking him to either amend his words or face legal action. He declined to amend his words. The Swayamsevaks were enraged by Arjun Singh’s statement. Therefore, a criminal complaint, under section 499, 500 and 501 of IPC was filed in the court of Judicial Magistrate of Jagadhari. The case is being pleaded by advocate Mukesh Garg and Pradeep Garg.
