Rahul Gandhi appears in UP court in 2018 defamation case

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. File Pic

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, appeared before an MP-MLA court in Sultanpur on Friday to record his statement in a 2018 defamation case. The case relates to remarks he allegedly made about Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the Karnataka elections in 2018.

The court has scheduled the next hearing for March 9, when Gandhi is expected to provide evidence in his defence, his advocate Kashi Prasad Shukla told PTI. Gandhi entered the court at around 10:40 am and left by 11:15 am. After the hearing, he left for Lucknow before flying back to Delhi.

Ahead of the court appearance, local Congress leaders put up posters in Sultanpur reading "Satyamev Jayate" (truth always triumphs).

Support from party leaders

Gandhi was accompanied by senior Congress leaders, including Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari, MLA Aradhana Mishra, and UP Congress chief Ajay Rai.

Speaking to ANI, Pramod Tiwari criticized the BJP, saying, "The BJP is continuously filing false and fabricated cases against him across the entire country. Similarly, a case has been filed in Sultanpur. We have faith in the judiciary; we will get justice. He is coming today to appear in that very matter."

Aradhana Mishra added, "Rahul Gandhi will today attend the hearing in Sultanpur for the case currently underway in the court there. All workers are with him," while Ajay Rai explained Gandhi's presence saying that he has a program in Sultanpur which is why he has to go there and hence has to appear in the court there personally. Gandhi was coming there for the above mentioned reasons according to Rai as per ANI reports.

Background of the case

The case was filed in 2018 by local BJP leader Vijay Mishra, alleging that Gandhi made derogatory remarks about then-BJP president Amit Shah. A warrant was issued against Gandhi in December 2023 for not appearing, but he surrendered in February 2024, receiving bail on two sureties of Rs 25,000 each.

Gandhi previously recorded his statement in July 2024, claiming that he was innocent and calling the case a political conspiracy. Following Friday's hearing, the court has directed the complainant to produce evidence in the case.

(With PTI and ANI Inputs)