New Delhi: ‘Political malice’: Rahul Gandhi tells court 2018 case meant to destroy his image
Lucknow : Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Friday told the special MP-MLA court in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, that the 2018 defamation case against him was lodged due to “political malice” and to destroy his and the Congress’s image.
The case pertains to Gandhi’s alleged derogatory remarks made against Union home minister Amit Shah during a press conference in Karnataka during the 2018 assembly polls. Shah was then the Bharatiya Janata Party national president.
Appearing before the court of special judge Shubham Verma, Gandhi denied all allegations levelled against him, his advocate Kashi Prasad Shukla told news agency PTI. “The allegations are baseless and unfounded. I have never used derogatory words against anyone, nor have I used such language with the intention of defaming anyone. A false complaint has been filed by distorting my statement,” Shukla told PTI.
“The allegations have been made against me out of political malice with the aim of destroying my image and that of my party,” Gandhi told the court, according to the lawyer. The court will hear the matter next on March 9.
The case dates back to 2018 when BJP leader Vijay Mishra had filed a defamation complaint against Gandhi, alleging that during the Karnataka elections in 2018, the Congress leader made derogatory remarks against the then BJP president and Shah.
Mishra’s lawyer, Santosh Kumar Pandey, said the cross-examination of the plaintiff and two witnesses has been completed. Gandhi had last appeared before the court in this case on July 26, 2024, claiming innocence and terming the case a political conspiracy.
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