Rahul Gandhi calls defamation case against him 'cheap publicity'

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi appeared before an MP-MLA court in Sultanpur on Friday, 26 July, in a defamation case against him and said it was filed to gain "cheap publicity".

According to Gandhi's lawyer Kashi Prasad Shukla, the Congress MP, who appeared before Special Judge Shubham Verma, said he never made a statement against anyone that could lead to a case of defamation.

Local BJP leader Vijay Mishra filed the complaint on 4 August 2018, against Rahul Gandhi for his alleged objectionable comments against Amit Shah at a press conference in Bengaluru in May of that year during the Karnataka elections.

The complainant referred to Gandhi's comment that the BJP claims to believe in honest and clean politics but has a party president who is an "accused" in a murder case. Shah was BJP president when Gandhi made the comment.

About four years before Gandhi's remark, a special CBI court in Mumbai discharged Shah in a 2005 fake encounter case when he was a minister of state for home in Gujarat.

The MP-MLA court in Sultanpur fixed 12 August as the next date of hearing in the matter when the statement of the petitioner will be recorded. Sources said Gandhi need not appear in the court on that date.

Advocate Santosh Kumar Pandey, representing Mishra, said Gandhi has recorded his statement before the judge and evidence will be presented on 12 August.

On his way back to Lucknow after attending the court proceedings, Gandhi stopped at the shop of a cobbler on the outskirts of Sultanpur and spoke to him about his problems.

Gandhi halted his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' in Amethi on 20 February and appeared in the court which granted him bail.

On Friday morning, Congress workers gathered at the civil court in Sultanpur in large numbers for Gandhi's arrival. The Rae Bareli MP appeared before the special judge in court number 15 and recorded his statement.

The court premises resembled a fortress with a heavy presence of security personnel.