E-Paper
Defamation case: Rahul Gandhi records statement in court, next hearing on March 9
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi appears before MP-MLA court in Sultanpur, says case filed out of political malice
Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP from Rae Bareli, on Friday appeared before an MP-MLA court in Sultanpur and recorded his statement in a 2018 defamation case related to his allegedly derogatory remarks against Union home minister Amit Shah, who was then the Bharatiya Janata Party national president.
The remarks were allegedly made at a press conference in Karnataka during the 2018 assembly polls.
Gandhi told the court of special judge Shubham Verma that the allegations against him were made out of political malice and with an aim to destroy his image and that of his party, said his advocate Kashi Prasad Shukla, according to a PTI report.
Elaborating on the statement given in court, his lawyer said Gandhi denied all allegations levelled against him.
“The allegations are baseless and unfounded. I have never used derogatory words against anyone, nor have I used such language with the intention of defaming anyone. A false complaint has been filed by distorting my statement,” Shukla quoted Gandhi as saying.
“The allegations have been made against me out of political malice with the aim of destroying my image and that of my party,” Gandhi told the court, according to the lawyer.
The court has fixed March 9 as the next date of hearing.
“I will present the evidence in this regard soon before the court,” said Gandhi.
The Congress leader was in court for about half-an-hour. During the hearing, the courtroom doors were closed. A large crowd of supporters gathered outside the courtroom while security on the court premises was tightened.
Rahul Gandhi had last appeared before the court in this case on July 26, 2024.
Since Rahul Gandhi did not appear in court for subsequent hearings, his advocate Kashi Prasad Shukla sought an extension by submitting an application.
Vijay Mishra, BJP leader and former president of the District Co-operative Bank, Sultanpur, had filed a defamation complaint against Rahul Gandhi.
Santosh Kumar Pandey, the lawyer representing Mishra, said the cross-examination of the plaintiff and two witnesses is complete. The trial has been underway for the past five years. In December 2023, a warrant was issued against Gandhi for non-appearance before the court. He surrendered in February 2024, after which a special magistrate granted him bail on two sureties of ₹25,000 each. On July 26, 2024, Gandhi recorded his statement before the court, claiming innocence and terming the case a political conspiracy. Thereafter, the court directed the complainant to produce evidence in the case.
When Rahul Gandhi did not appear at the previous hearing on January 19, 2026, the court summoned him on February 20.
Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi reached Lucknow airport where he was welcomed by Avinash Pandey, the Congress national general secretary in charge of Uttar Avinash, and state president Ajay Rai. From Lucknow airport, Rahul Gandhi reached Sultanpur by road.
After leaving the court, Rahul Gandhi visited the shop of Ramchet Mochi, a cobbler who passed away due to cancer about three months ago, and met his family, interacting with Ramchet’s granddaughter, Shraddha.
Gandhi enquired about an injury on her leg. On learning that it had not healed yet, he directed state Congress president Ajay Rai to ensure proper treatment for the girl.
Around a year ago, Gandhi had visited Ramchet’s shop and stitched shoes with him. Later, the Congress leader sent a sewing machine to support the family.
Those present on the occasion included Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari, Congress legislature party leader Aradhana Mishra, Barabanki MP Tanuj Punia, MLA Virendra, Chaudhary, Akhilesh Pratap Singh, spokesperson Anshu Awasthi, Virendra Madan, district president Amit Tyagi, Mukesh Singh Chauhan, secretary Sanjeev Pandey along with a large number of party workers.
