Allahabad High Court setback to Rahul Gandhi over religious freedom for Sikhs remark in US

The Allahabad HC reportedly dismissed a revision plea Rahul Gandhi had filed challenging a special court's acceptance of a petition filed against him.

Updated on: Sep 26, 2025, 15:04:56 IST

By HT News Desk

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The Allahabad High Court has reportedly dismissed a petition by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi against an order of the MP/MLA Special Court in Varanasi. The special court's order was related to a statement Rahul Gandhi made in the US last year, commenting on religious freedom of Sikhs in India.

Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi (ANI/File)

According to ANI, the Allahabad High Court rejected Gandhi’s revision plea challenging the Varanasi court’s decision to admit a petition filed against him. The high court's move means the case can now proceed to the MP/MLA Court in Varanasi.

The case is linked to a remark Rahul Gandhi made during his US visit in 2024. He had kicked off a political storm with a remark that appeared to suggest that Sikhs can't practice their faith freely in India.

"The fight is about whether he, as a Sikh, is going to be allowed to wear a turban in India; or whether, he, as a Sikh, will be allowed to wear a kada in India; or whether he, as a Sikh, is allowed to go to a Gurudwara. That’s what the fight is about," Gandhi had said.

After Rahul Gandhi's remarks sparked row, a man from Varanasi, named Nageshwar Mishra, had approached the court seeking an FIR against the Congress leader.

In November 2024, the additional chief judicial magistrate rejected the application seeking a case, observing that the speech was delivered in the US and hence fell outside its jurisdiction. However, the court of special judge (MP/MLA) allowed the revision plea filed by Mishra on July 21 this year, directing the ACJM to hear the matter afresh.

Rahul Gandhi approached the Allahabad high court against the order in August, arguing that the special court's move as "wrong, illegal and without jurisdiction".

The remarks Rahul Gandhi made during his US trip had sparked huge uproar last year, and were dubbed “provocative and divisive” by many.

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