Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi had not blamed the RSS as an institution for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, but the people associated with it, the Supreme Court was told on Wednesday.
Union Minister of Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu welcomed the development, saying that "wisdom is prevailed".
The RSS, however, has demanded an apology from the Congress Vice President.
Senior counsel Kapil Sibal told the apex court bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman of Rahul Gandhi's stance while referring to an affidavit filed by Gandhi before the Bombay High Court challenging the defamation proceedings against him by a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker Rajesh Madhav Kunte.
The bench, while taking note of Gandhi's statement before the high court, said that it can dispose of the matter after the Congress leader's "unequivocal" statement that he had not blamed the RSS as an organisation for Mahatma Gandhi's assassination, but only the people linked with it.
However, the court deferred the hearing till Sep 1 as senior counsel Umesh R. Lalit, appearing for the RSS worker, wanted time to take instructions from Kunte.
Sibal told the apex court that Gandhi has never accused RSS for the Mahatma's assassination.
He, Sibal said, had told the high court that "the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi was a result of the destructive philosophy of the persons associated with the RSS. It was also clearly suggested that the assassins were associated or affiliated with RSS" and never accused RSS as an institution of the crime.
As the court indicated the order it may pass, Sibal said: "I am not making any addition, alteration or subtraction" in what Gandhi had said in his affidavit.
Venkaiah Naidu expressing satisfaction over the development, said: "I hope wisdom has prevailed upon him, on others to not make such aggressive remarks."
The RSS reacted sharply, demanding an apology from Rahul Gandhi for his remark.
"Rahul Gandhi and Congress Party should stop lying and apologies," the RSS wrote on twitter.
