A special MP-MLA court in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on Monday acquitted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case over alleged remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was the BJP president in 2018. The court ruled that Gandhi’s remarks were not defamatory.
Rahul Gandhi appeared before the court when it pronounced the verdict. The complaint was filed in 2018 by local BJP leader Vijay Mishra, a former chairman of the Sultanpur District Cooperative Bank.
Mishra alleged that Gandhi made derogatory remarks during a campaign rally in Bengaluru ahead of the 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections.
had questioned the BJP’s commitment to clean politics, referring to a party president who was an accused in a murder case.
Rahul Gandhi appeared before the court in February 2024 and secured bail on personal bonds. The proceedings continued, with the Congress leader appearing for hearings and recording his statement.
Following the verdict, Congress leaders and supporters celebrated outside the court with drums and slogans.
Congress MLC Deepak Singh told reporters, “We respectfully accept the court’s decision, and the truth has ultimately prevailed. Rahul Gandhi had to face many hardships during this period…”
Before the verdict, complainant Vijay Mishra’s counsel, Santosh Kumar Pandey, had outlined the possible outcomes, including acquittal or conviction. He said the case carried a maximum punishment of two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.
The court’s decision brings the defamation proceedings against Gandhi in this case to a close at the trial court level.
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