(Today on 23rd February) The Jharkhand High Court has rejected Rahul Gandhi’s appeal to dismiss a defamation case filed against him regarding his comments about Amit Shah. Gandhi’s alleged derogatory remarks against the BJP leader during a 2018 Congress session in Chaibasa led to the lawsuit filed by the BJP Leader Naveen Jha. Despite Gandhi’s written response submitted on February 16, the court, presided over by Justice Ambujnath, reserved its decision.
Ranchi, Jharkhand, India Today, February 23, 2024: The Jharkhand High Court has declined Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s request to dismiss proceedings against him in a criminal defamation suit filed in connection with his purported derogatory statements against BJP leader Amit Shah back in 2018.
During a hearing on February 16, Rahul Gandhi submitted his written response to the court. Following this, Justice Ambujnath’s bench reserved its decision.
The controversy arose from remarks made by the former Congress president during the 2018 Congress session in Chaibasa. BJP’s Leader Naveen Jha, who initiated the defamation suit in the Jharkhand High Court, accused Rahul Gandhi of making derogatory remarks against the then BJP national president, Amit Shah.
In a separate incident, Gandhi was granted bail on February 20 by a special court in Sultanpur. The bail was granted in a defamation case filed by BJP leader Vijay Mishra on August 4, 2018. Vijay Mishra had accused Rahul Gandhi of making objectionable remarks against Shah during a press conference in Bengaluru on May 8 of the same year, amidst the Karnataka elections.
Rahul Gandhi obtained bail by providing a surety of Rs 25,000 along with a personal bond of equal value. Throughout the court proceedings, he asserted his innocence, refuting any culpability related to his statements. No subsequent date has been scheduled for further proceedings in the case.