The Supreme Court has extended interim protection to Rahul Gandhi in the Army remark defamation case. The Bench referenced the sharp observation, “If you were a true Indian, you would not say all this,” during the hearing.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India extended the interim protection granted to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the defamation case related to his comments about the Indian Army during the 2022 Bharat Jodo Yatra. The Bench comprising Justices MM Sundresh and Satish Chandra Sharma also ordered that the stay on the trial court proceedings would continue until further orders, and scheduled the matter for a final hearing in April 2026.
The Supreme Court clarified that no coercive steps should be taken against Gandhi while the matter remains sub judice. The protection initially granted was earlier extended until December 4, and has now been prolonged once again.
The complaint accuses Gandhi of making remarks allegedly defaming the Indian Army in reference to the 2020 Galwan Valley clash between India and China. The Apex Court first stayed proceedings in the trial court on August 4, when notices were issued to the Uttar Pradesh government and the complainant.
During earlier hearings, Justice Dipankar Datta strongly criticized Gandhi’s remarks, questioning the basis of his statements regarding alleged Chinese occupation of 2,000 km of Indian territory. Justice Datta had remarked:
“If you were a true Indian, you would not say all these things… Why would you make these statements without any credible material?”
These comments triggered political reactions, with several leaders from the Congress party and the broader INDIA alliance accusing the remarks of being inappropriate and an attack on democratic rights. In a joint statement, they described the observations as “extraordinary, unwarranted, and misplaced.”
Related Legal Proceedings
On March 29, 2025, the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court dismissed Gandhi’s plea challenging the summons issued by the Magistrate’s Court. The Supreme Court later issued a stay on further proceedings in the case.
Gandhi has faced several legal challenges over his political speeches:
- On May 27, a Varanasi MP-MLA court dismissed a complaint against him for allegedly calling Lord Ram a “fictional character” during a lecture at a U.S. university.
- On April 24, 2025, the Supreme Court issued notice and stayed the Allahabad High Court order refusing to quash the summons in a defamation case arising from remarks about Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Justice Datta had warned Gandhi that further “irresponsible statements” could prompt the Court to take suo motu action.
The Supreme Court had again extended the stay on those criminal defamation proceedings on July 25.
Case Title:
Rahul Gandhi v. State of Uttar Pradesh & Anr.
Special Leave to Appeal (Crl.) No(s). 11753/2025
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