India, March 6 -- A Lucknow court on Wednesday imposed a Rs.200 cost on Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for failing to appear in a 2022 defamation case related to his alleged derogatory remarks about freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Alok Verma had earlier directed Gandhi to appear in court on March 6. However, his legal team submitted an application seeking an exemption, citing his official engagements, including meetings with foreign dignitaries and other scheduled programs.

The court imposed a Rs.200 penalty, directing that the amount be paid to the complainant's lawyer. The next hearing is scheduled for April 14.

The case originated from Gandhi's remarks on Savarkar made d...