The hearing in the 2018 defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, concerning his alleged objectionable remarks targeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah, was postponed by an MP-MLA court in Delhi on Friday. Rahul Gandhi’s lawyer, Kashi Prasad Shukla, cited the passing of a lawyer as the reason for the postponement, leading to a condolence meeting being held in the court, with the hearing rescheduled for June 18.
This case stems from comments made by Gandhi during a press conference in Bengaluru in May 2018, amid the Karnataka elections, where he allegedly criticized the BJP and Shah. The complaint was filed against Gandhi by BJP leader Vijay Mishra on August 4, 2018.
In December of the same year, a warrant was issued against Gandhi, prompting him to pause his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Amethi and appear in court on February 20. During this appearance, Gandhi was granted bail.
The crux of the complaint revolves around Gandhi’s statement questioning the BJP’s commitment to clean politics, given Shah’s past legal issues. This refers to an incident where Shah was accused in a murder case, although he was later acquitted by a special CBI court in Mumbai around four years prior to Gandhi’s remarks, during his tenure as a minister in Gujarat.