Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, appeared before the MP/MLA court in Uttar Pradesh’s Sultanpur district on Friday to record his statement in a long-pending defamation case. The case stems from remarks he allegedly made against Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections .
Mr. Gandhi, who arrived at the court around 10:40 AM, was accompanied by senior Congress leaders including Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai, Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari, and MLA Aradhana Mishra . The proceedings lasted approximately 20 to 30 minutes, during which the Congress leader's statement was recorded by Special Judge Shubham Verma .
According to his counsel, Kashi Prasad Shukla, Mr. Gandhi denied all allegations leveled against him, telling the court that the case was filed out of "political malice" with the intention of tarnishing his image and that of his party.
Following the hearing, the court fixed March 9, 2026, as the next date and directed the Raebareli MP to furnish evidence in his defense .
The defamation complaint was originally filed in 2018 by Vijay Mishra, a local BJP leader and former chairman of the District Cooperative Bank . The complaint alleged that during a press conference in Bengaluru in the run-up to the Karnataka elections, Mr. Gandhi made derogatory remarks against Amit Shah, who was then the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party . According to reports, the Congress leader had remarked that the party that talks about honesty has a president who is an "accused in a murder case" .
The trial has been ongoing for nearly five years. In December 2023, a warrant was issued against Mr. Gandhi for non-appearance, following which he surrendered in February 2024 and was granted bail on two sureties of ₹25,000 each . He had previously recorded a statement in the case on July 26, 2024 .
Ahead of the hearing, security was tightened significantly around the court premises. A dog squad conducted a thorough search, and additional forces, including an Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) and four Circle Officers, were deployed to manage the large crowd of supporters and maintain order .
Speaking to media persons outside the court, senior Congress leader Pramod Tiwari alleged that the BJP has been filing "false and fabricated cases" against Mr. Gandhi across the country. "We have faith in the judiciary; we will get justice," Mr. Tiwari said .
As Mr. Gandhi emerged from the court around 11:15 AM, party supporters raised slogans hailing him. The Congress leader smiled and waved at the crowd before leaving for Lucknow, from where he was scheduled to fly back to Delhi.
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