New Delhi, Aug. 15 -- The Supreme Court on Friday quashed the criminal defamation complaint and summons issued by a trial court against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his remarks against Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, saying the required sanction under the law was not obtained. The defamation case stems from Gandhi's comments on Savarkar made on November 17, 2022 during his Bharat Jodo Yatra at a rally in Maharashtra's Akola district. Allowing Gandhi's plea, a bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu noted that the criminal proceedings lacked sanction required under the law to prosecute the Leader of the Opposition. Under Section 196 CrPC, sanction of the state government is mandatory to take cognisance of an offence under Section 153A IPC (promotion of enmity between groups)....