'Rahul Gandhi speaks same language as Pakistan and China', says Fadnavis

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis. Pic/X

Maharashtra Chief Minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis on Monday expressed his gratitude to the apex court for rebuking Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his remarks about the Indian Army during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in December 2022.

"I express my gratitude to the Supreme Court because people sitting in high positions are spreading rumours and speaking against the interest of the country; this should stop. We have seen the way Rahul Gandhi kept saying, without any evidence, that China has grabbed India's land," said CM Fadnavis.

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"Due to this, the morale of our soldiers is affected because when they are saving the country, such a big leader gives false statements. Rahul Gandhi continuously speaks the same language as Pakistan and China. This is very wrong. This is against the interests of the country. He is the leader of a very big party... Now, when the Supreme Court has remanded him, maybe he will change his attitude from now on," he added.

On Monday, the Supreme Court pulled up the senior Congress leader over his alleged remarks on the Indian Army following the India-China border clash in the Yangsi region of Arunachal Pradesh three years ago.

A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih expressed disapproval of Gandhi's remarks.

Justice Datta said, "How do you get to know that 2000 square kilometres of Indian territory was occupied by China? What is the credible material? If you are a true Indian, you would not say this. When there is a conflict across borders, can you say all this?"

Meanwhile, the apex court also stayed further proceedings before the trial court in the case and issued notice to the complainant, former Border Roads Organisation (BRO) Director Uday Shankar Srivastava.

On May 29, the Allahabad High Court had rejected the Lok Sabha lawmaker's plea, challenging the defamation case and the summoning order passed by an MP/MLA court in Lucknow in February.

In his defamation complaint, Srivastava alleged that Gandhi had made derogatory remarks on December 16, 2022, during his Bharat Jodo Yatra over the border clash, defaming the Indian Army.

At the time, Gandhi had said, "People will ask about Bharat Jodo Yatra, here and there, Ashok Gahlot and Sachin Pilot and whatnot. But they will not ask a single question about China capturing 2000 square kilometres of Indian territory, killing 20 Indian soldiers and thrashing our soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh. But the Indian press doesn't ask them a question about this. Isn't it true? The nation is watching all this. Don't pretend that people don't know."

The complainant had said that the statement given by Gandhi was made as an attempt to demoralise the Indian Army. Terming the statement false and baseless, Srivastava said, "It was given with an evil intention of demoralising the Indian Army and to damage the faith of the Indian population on the Indian Army, whereas the truth is that in the scuffle that took place in Yangsi region Arunachal Pradesh on December 9, 2022, the Indian Army successfully restrained the Chinese Army from entering the territory protected by it and badly chased them away."

(With ANI inputs)