Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been summoned to appear before the Lucknow MP/MLA court on March 24, following allegations of defamatory remarks against the Indian Army during his Bharat Jodo Yatra in December 2022. The summons was issued by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Alok Verma, who mandated Gandhi’s personal appearance on the specified date.
The complaint was filed by Uday Shankar Srivastava, a retired director of the Border Roads Organisation holding a rank equivalent to an army colonel. Represented by lawyer Vivek Tiwari, Srivastava alleges that on December 16, 2022, during an interaction with the media amidst the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gandhi made derogatory comments concerning a clash between Indian and Chinese troops that occurred on December 9, 2022. The complainant contends that these remarks defamed the Indian Army and tarnished its reputation.
This legal development adds to a series of defamation cases faced by Gandhi. Notably, in March 2023, he was convicted in a defamation case related to a remark targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leading to his temporary disqualification from Parliament. The conviction was later suspended by the Supreme Court, allowing his reinstatement as a lawmaker.
In a separate incident in December 2024, Gandhi was involved in a scuffle between opposition members and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party MPs outside Parliament. The altercation resulted in injuries to two BJP lawmakers and led to a police investigation against Gandhi. He denied the allegations, asserting that BJP members had obstructed and threatened him.
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