AMN / LUCKNOW
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday surrendered before a Lucknow court in connection with a defamation case over his alleged objectionable remarks on the Indian Army. The court granted him bail within five minutes of his appearance.
Appearing before Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Alok Verma, Gandhi was granted bail on two personal bonds of ₹20,000 each, following a formal bail application submitted by his legal team. He spent about 30 minutes inside the courtroom.
Gandhi flew in from Delhi and headed straight to the MP-MLA court in Lucknow, following a fresh summons issued after he skipped five earlier hearings. The case pertains to his December 2022 speech during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, where he had reportedly said that “Chinese soldiers were beating up Indian soldiers” — a reference to the December 9, 2022 border clash in Arunachal Pradesh.
The complaint was filed in August 2023 by retired BRO Director Uday Shankar Srivastava, who alleged the statement was factually incorrect, demoralizing, and hurtful to soldiers and their families. The Indian Army had officially countered the claim, stating that Indian troops had firmly confronted and repelled Chinese forces during the incident.
Earlier, Gandhi’s lawyer had sought exemption from personal appearance, but the court denied the request, mandating Gandhi’s presence. Outside the court, a brief standoff occurred when police stopped senior Congress leaders Pramod Tiwari and Aradhana Mishra at the gate, though they eventually entered on foot.
While Gandhi has secured bail, the case remains active and has sparked fresh debate on the boundaries of political speech, national security, and freedom of expression in a polarized political climate.