India, April 25 -- The Supreme Court on Friday criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, for his remarks against Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, saying he should refrain from making "irresponsible" statements about freedom fighters.

The bench, however, stayed the Lucknow court's order summoning Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case filed against him for his comment referring to Savarkar as a "servant" of the British in November 2022 during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Maharashtra's Akola.

"You have made a good point on law, and you are entitled to stay... But he is a political leader. Why should he make such statements?" justices Dipankar Datta and Manmohan told senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who appeared for Gandhi, the lea...