A major verdict has been delivered today in the high-profile defamation case against senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The special MP-MLA court in Sultanpur has acquitted Rahul Gandhi in connection with a case stemming from remarks made about Amit Shah in the year 2018. Ending an 8 year legal battle, the special MP-MLA court in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on Monday granted massive relief to the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, by declaring him completely free of charges and acquitting him. This case was related to objectionable remarks made by Rahul Gandhi in 2018 against the then BJP president and current Union Home Minister Amit Shah, following which a local BJP leader had filed a lawsuit. During the pronouncement of the verdict, Rahul Gandhi was personally present in the courtroom, prompting the district administration to remain on high alert.
As soon as the news of Rahul Gandhi's acquittal emerged from the courtroom, party workers erupted in joy, dancing and celebrating enthusiastically. Meanwhile, the Congress party posted 'Satyamev Jayate' on its official X account. The complainant's advocate Santosh Kumar Pandey had stated earlier that on October 13, special MP-MLA court judge Shubham Verma had fixed October 26 to pronounce the verdict in this matter. He had stated that the Congress MP from Rae Bareli, Rahul Gandhi, would have to personally appear in court on Monday. Rahul Gandhi reached the Sultanpur MP-MLA court today at around 11 AM. Given his arrival, security arrangements inside and around the court premises were Importantly beefed up.
BJP leader and former district cooperative bank president Vijay Mishra had filed a defamation complaint against Rahul Gandhi on August 4, 2018. It was alleged that Gandhi made objectionable remarks against Amit Shah during an election rally in Bengaluru that same year. During a press conference held in Bengaluru on May 8, 2018, amidst the Karnataka assembly election campaign, Rahul Gandhi had stated regarding the 2005 Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case that the people of Hindustan forgot that the BJP president is an accused in a murder case. This is the truth. The party that talks about honesty and probity has a president who has been accused of murder. Amit Shah was discharged from this case in the year 2014. In 2016, the Supreme Court also rejected the demand that the allegations against the BJP president should be reinvestigated.
Following this remark by Rahul Gandhi, the court had summoned Gandhi on November 27, 2023, to face trial. Subsequently, he appeared in court, where he was granted bail. Later, Mishra had filed an application seeking a voice sample match of Rahul Gandhi, which was dismissed by the lower court. The revision petition filed against this was also dismissed by the sessions court. The Allahabad High Court too had dismissed the petition challenging the orders of both courts. Rahul Gandhi made his fourth personal appearance in court in this matter.
Meanwhile, amidst this entire political development, reactions to prior statements have also been surfacing. On Sunday, following a controversial remark made by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Patna, Bihar, regarding Prime Minister Modi's father, sharp reactions started coming from the BJP. The BJP termed Kharge's statement as the language of goons and raised strong objections to it. Following this court verdict, political rhetoric has once again intensified across political circles. Rahul Gandhi's lawyers and supporters have hailed this verdict as a victory of truth, while all eyes remain fixed on subsequent developments under the legal framework.