Varanasi, Oct 17 (PTI) A Varanasi court on Friday dismissed a petition against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks concerning the Sikh community made during his visit to the US last year.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (MP/MLA court) Neeraj Kumar Tripathi quashed the complaint, observing that the petitioner had “merely expressed an apprehension” that Gandhi’s comments could be exploited by Khalistani elements to incite violence or spread misinformation about India abroad, according to a case lawyer.
“The petitioner did not provide any concrete evidence or reference to any incident substantiating this apprehension. Therefore, the complaint stands dismissed,” the court said in its order.
The case was filed in July last year by Nageshwar Mishra, a resident of Tilmapur in Varanasi, over Gandhi’s remarks concerning the Sikh community during his US tour in September 2024. Mishra had first moved the Judicial Magistrate court, where his plea was dismissed.
He later filed a revision petition before the Sessions Court, which was accepted for hearing before ultimately being rejected on Friday.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai welcomed the court’s decision, calling it a “victory of truth and democracy”.
He said Gandhi’s remarks during his US visit were aimed at highlighting the growing mistrust among minorities in India and the adverse environment they faced.
“He had discussed how the BJP tried to spread hatred against the Sikh community during the farmers’ protest, creating a sense of insecurity among them,” Rai said.
He added, “In any democracy, it is the duty of the opposition to speak up for citizens’ safety, raise questions and, when needed, protest peacefully.” Rai claimed the case was filed only to malign Gandhi’s image and harass him unnecessarily. PTI COR KIS ZMN
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