INDIA Bloc criticizes Supreme Court Justice Dipankar Datta’s “True Indian” remark on Rahul Gandhi’s India-China border face-off comment, calling it extraordinary, unwarranted, and undermining the Leader of Opposition.
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NEW DELHI: The recent remarks by a Supreme Court judge questioning Rahul Gandhi’s patriotism during a defamation case hearing have sparked sharp political reactions. While BJP leaders welcomed the observation, the opposition INDIA bloc called it “unwarranted” and a threat to democratic free speech.
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On August 1, a Supreme Court bench comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Augustine George Masih was hearing a petition filed by Rahul Gandhi. The case pertains to an alleged defamatory remark he made during the Bharat Jodo Yatra on December 16, 2022, implying that 2,000 sq km of Indian territory had been seized by China.
During the hearing, Justice Datta asked Gandhi’s counsel, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi:
“How do you get to know when 2000 sq km was acquired by China? What is the credible material? A true Indian will not say this. When there is a conflict across the border, can you say all this?”
He also remarked that Article 19(1)(a), which guarantees freedom of speech, “does not permit anyone to say just anything.”
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The INDIA alliance, comprising key opposition parties, convened a meeting of its floor leaders the following morning. In a strongly worded joint statement, they called the judge’s remarks “an extraordinary observation” and “unwarranted”.
“It is the responsibility of political parties, especially the Leader of Opposition, to comment on issues of national interest,”
the statement noted.
“When a government fails so spectacularly to defend our borders, it is every citizen’s moral duty to hold it accountable.”
Unsurprisingly, the ruling BJP welcomed the observations made by the bench. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis said:
“People in high positions spreading rumours and speaking against the country’s interest should stop. Rahul Gandhi’s unfounded remarks affect the morale of our soldiers.”
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Rajeev Chandrasekhar, BJP’s Kerala unit president, went further, saying:
“Rahul Gandhi lies through his teeth… hoping the lies will somehow mislead or provoke people.”
Such statements reflect the BJP’s longstanding narrative that Gandhi’s criticisms weaken national unity and security, especially concerning sensitive matters like India’s borders with China and Pakistan.
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