New Delhi: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to appear before a special MP-MLA court in Uttar Pradesh’s Sultanpur on Friday in connection with an ongoing defamation case linked to his past remarks about Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Gandhi reached the region earlier in the day and proceeded directly to Sultanpur to attend the hearing. According to Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai, the Congress leader travelled specifically to comply with court proceedings and is expected to return to Delhi soon after.
The case originates from a complaint filed in 2018 by local BJP functionary Vijay Mishra. The complaint alleges that during the Karnataka Assembly election campaign that year, Gandhi made objectionable comments targeting Shah, who was then serving as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s national president. The matter has been under trial for several years.
In December 2023, the court issued a warrant against Gandhi over his absence during earlier hearings. He later appeared before the court in February 2024 and was granted bail by a special magistrate upon furnishing two sureties of ₹25,000 each. In July 2024, Gandhi recorded his statement, maintaining that he was innocent and describing the proceedings as politically motivated. Following that submission, the court asked the complainant to present supporting evidence.
Ahead of Friday’s appearance, local Congress workers displayed posters in parts of Sultanpur bearing the slogan “Satyamev Jayate,” signalling support for their leader.
The proceedings are part of a broader series of legal challenges faced by Gandhi in recent years. Friday’s hearing is expected to focus on the continuation of evidence and further examination in the long-pending defamation matter.
