Defamation Case: Rahul Gandhi Appears Before UP's Sultanpur Court Over Remarks on Amit Shah

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi appeared before the MP-MLA court here on Friday for a hearing in a defamation case related to remarks he made about Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Gandhi, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, attended the court in connection with a defamation suit filed against him by local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vijay Mishra. The defamation case was filed by local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vijay Mishra on August 4, 2018. The complaint stemmed from comments Gandhi made during a press conference in Bengaluru, where he criticized the BJP for claiming to support honest politics while having a party president, referring to Shah, who was "accused" in a murder case. Shah was the BJP president at the time.

#WATCH | Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi leaves from Sultanpur Court, Uttar Pradesh.

He appeared before the court in connection with a defamation case filed against him for allegedly making objectionable remarks about Union Home Minister Amit Shah. pic.twitter.com/U2CoH1mLu9

— ANI (@ANI) July 26, 2024

Advocate Santosh Kumar Pandey, representing Mishra, said Gandhi denied the allegations, claiming he is being framed for political reasons to damage his reputation. According to Pandey, evidence is scheduled to be presented on August 12, 2024.

#WATCH | Sultanpur, UP: Advocate Santosh Kumar Pandey, Complainant's lawyer says, "He (Rahul Gandhi) denied the allegations and said that he is being framed for political reasons and to malign his image. He answered the questions asked by the court. He recorded his statement.… https://t.co/gcWPEgcrgIpic.twitter.com/87dYEMnZtm

— ANI (@ANI) July 26, 2024

"He (Rahul Gandhi) denied the allegations and said that he is being framed for political reasons and to malign his image. He answered the questions asked by the court. He recorded his statement. Now, we have to produce evidence on August 12, 2024," Santosh Kumar Pandey told media.

The court had previously granted bail to Gandhi on February 20.