THANE: A court here today framed charges against Congress President Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case filed against him by a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker to which the Congress leader pleaded not guilty.
Gandhi arrived at the court in Bhiwandi at 11.05 am amid heavy security cover and was greeted by people raising slogans in his support.
The court framed charges against him under Indian Penal Code sections 499 and 500 (defamation).
When civil judge A I Sheikh read out charges against him, Gandhi said, "I plead not guilty."
Rahul Gandhi left the court at 12: 15 pm.
The next hearing in the case is on August 10.
The court had on May 2 asked Gandhi to appear before it today to record his plea in the defamation case filed by RSS worker Rajesh Kunte in 2014.
Kunte had filed the case after watching Rahul Gandhi's speech at an election rally in which he had alleged that the RSS was behind the killing of Mahatma Gandhi.
"The RSS people had killed (Mahatma) Gandhi," the Congress president had allegedly said in the rally.