Defamation case against Rahul Gandhi dismissed

The court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Lucknow dismissed a defamation case filed against Congress President Rahul Gandhi for comparing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh with Muslim Brotherhood during his recent London visit.

An advocate Gyanendra Kumar Shrivastava, a self-acknowledged Swayamsevak of the RSS, had filed the petition and claimed that the comparison was malafide and had hurt his sentiments. He had also claimed that he had felt insulted and hence would like the Congress President prosecuted.

The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Nirbhay Prakash in his brief order observed that the petitioner did not appear to have any locus in the case. In any case, he ruled, anyone was free to draw a comparison between two organisations and there was nothing on record to suggest that such comparison had caused anyone any harm.

Upholding the freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution, the court dismissed the petition and said admitting it would infringe upon freedom of speech.