Rahul Gandhi gets bail in 2022 defamation case over remarks on Army

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition(LOP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi was granted bail on Tuesday by a Lucknow court in a defamation case lodged against him over his remarks about the Army during the 2022 Bharat Jodo Yatra.

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The Additional CJM Alok Verma-led MP-MLA Court granted him relief on furnishing two bonds of Rs 20,000 each.

The case stemmed from Gandhi’s alleged derogatory remarks against Indian soldiers made during his Bharat Jodo Yatra. In compliance with the court's summons, Gandhi appeared before the Special Magistrate Court for MPs and MLAs in Lucknow for the first time. He had been skipping court appearances over the last five hearings.

The controversy dates back to December 16, 2022, during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Referring to clashes in the Galwan Valley, he remarked, "Chinese troops are thrashing our soldiers, and no one is even asking questions about it.” He further stated, “Chinese soldiers are beating our soldiers.”

However, the Army had issued an official statement just days earlier on December 12, clarifying that Chinese troops had attempted to intrude into Indian territory but were given a firm and fitting response. As per the statement, the Chinese forces were forced to retreat, and only minor injuries were reported on both sides.

Following Rahul Gandhi's remarks, Uday Shankar Srivastava, former director of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), had filed a defamation complaint against him in a Lucknow court. Rahul Gandhi had approached the Allahabad High Court seeking relief, but his plea was dismissed.

The complainant alleged his sentiments were hurt by Rahul Gandhi's statement about the alleged beating of Indian soldiers by the Chinese soldiers.