Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi took a sharp U-turn on Wednesday as he told the Supreme Court that he did not ever blame the RSS for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi but had only said that a "few individuals in the organisation" were responsible for it. Rahul Gandhi has made one of the most controversial statements in his political career when he alleged role of Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS) in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Rahul had approached the SC seeking quashing of a defamation case filed by RSS activist Rajesh Kunte, who alleged that the Congress leader had said at an election rally at Sonale in Thane district on March 6, 2014 that "RSS people had killed Mahatma Gandhi."

“If he now says the RSS was not involved, but the people who were involved in Gandhi’s murder were RSS-affiliate, then he must come clean on his statement that in what sense they were associated with the RSS and what was their position and credential in the organisation,” the RSS patriarch said, seeking an explanation from the Congress vice president as to how the assassin was affiliated to the organisation. The top court scheduled the next hearing for September 1, after the RSS activist's counsel U R Lalit sought time to get further instructions from his client. On July 19, the Supreme Court told Rahul to express regret for his comments holding the RSS responsible for Gandhi's assassination or be ready to face a defamation trial.