Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was acquitted on Monday by a special MP-MLA court in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, in a defamation case over alleged objectionable remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was the BJP president when the comments were made.
Gandhi was present in court when the verdict was pronounced. The court ruled that his remarks were not defamatory, bringing to a close a case that originated in 2018 and stemmed from his criticism of the BJP leadership during the Karnataka Assembly election campaign.
The complaint was filed by Vijay Mishra, a local BJP leader and former chairman of the Sultanpur District Cooperative Bank. Mishra alleged that Gandhi had defamed Shah during a campaign rally in Bengaluru ahead of the 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections.
Gandhi had questioned the BJP’s claims of promoting honest and clean politics, referring to Shah as a “party president who is an accused in a murder case”.
The complainant argued that the remarks were derogatory and amounted to defamation.
Court rejects defamation allegation
The case was subsequently heard by the special MP-MLA court in Sultanpur. Gandhi appeared before the court in February 2024 and was granted bail on personal bonds. The proceedings continued as the court heard the matter.
Earlier this year, Gandhi travelled from Lucknow to Sultanpur under heavy security to record his statement. He had missed an earlier hearing scheduled for January 19, following which the court fixed February 20 as the next date.
Gandhi appeared again on Monday for the final proceedings, travelling to Sultanpur via Lucknow. After arguments from both sides, the court pronounced its verdict, acquitting him of the defamation charge.
Before the verdict, Mishra’s counsel, Santosh Kumar Pandey, had outlined the possible outcomes, including acquittal or conviction.
“If he is convicted, arguments will be heard on that point. After that, the court will deliver its verdict immediately,” Pandey said, adding that the maximum punishment could extend to two years’ imprisonment, along with a fine.
Congress celebrates acquittal
Congress leaders and supporters celebrated outside the court after the verdict, beating drums and raising slogans.
Congress MLC Deepak Singh welcomed the decision, saying the party respected the court’s ruling.
“We respectfully accept the court’s decision, and the truth has ultimately prevailed. Rahul Gandhi had to face many hardships during this period…” Singh told reporters outside the court.
The acquittal marks a legal victory for Gandhi in the case arising from his remarks about Shah during the 2018 election campaign. The court’s finding that the comments were not defamatory resulted in his acquittal in the complaint filed by Mishra.