Rahul Gandhi Appears Before Sultanpur Court in Defamation Case Amid Tight Security

New Delhi, Feb 2026 : Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Friday travelled from Lucknow to Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh under heavy security arrangements to record his statement in a defamation case linked to remarks allegedly made against Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Rahul Gandhi departed from Lucknow airport early in the morning and was scheduled to reach the Sultanpur District Civil Court around 10.50 a.m. Senior Congress leaders said the party leader chose to personally appear before the court in compliance with legal proceedings. The case is being heard by the MP–MLA court in Sultanpur.

Congress Uttar Pradesh State President Ajay Rai confirmed Gandhi’s schedule, stating that the Congress leader was required to appear in court on Friday and would do so in person. He added that a large number of party workers and supporters were expected to gather to meet Gandhi during his visit.

Another Congress leader, Akhilesh Pratap Singh, said Rahul Gandhi was arriving in Lucknow from Delhi before proceeding to Sultanpur to take part in the court proceedings. He said that after completing the legal formalities, Gandhi would return to Lucknow and later fly back to the national capital.

The court appearance follows Gandhi’s absence at a previous hearing on January 19, after which the MP–MLA court fixed February 20 as the next date for his personal appearance. Court officials had indicated that compliance with the court’s directions was mandatory.

The defamation case dates back to October 2018 and was filed by local Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vijay Mishra, a resident of the Hanumanganj area under Kotwali Dehat police station limits in Sultanpur district. The complainant alleged that during an election campaign in Karnataka in August 2018, Rahul Gandhi made objectionable remarks targeting Amit Shah, who was then the BJP president.

According to the complaint, Gandhi had questioned the BJP’s claims of clean and honest politics, allegedly stating that the party was headed by a president who was an accused in a murder case. The remarks, Mishra claimed, were defamatory and harmed the reputation of Amit Shah.

In February 2024, the Sultanpur court had granted bail to Rahul Gandhi in the same case, allowing him relief while the trial continued.

Meanwhile, the political exchange around the case intensified, with Union Minister Giriraj Singh launching a sharp attack on the Congress leader. Singh accused Rahul Gandhi of irresponsible conduct and making statements that he claimed were against India’s interests. He alleged that Gandhi’s criticism of the country’s development reflected what he described as an “anti-India mindset”.

As Rahul Gandhi arrived in Sultanpur, security was significantly tightened in and around the court premises. Police personnel were deployed in large numbers to manage the crowd, as Congress workers gathered to express solidarity with their leader. Authorities said the arrangements were made to ensure law and order and the smooth conduct of court proceedings.

The case continues to draw political attention, highlighting the intersection of legal processes and high-profile political discourse in the run-up to key political developments in the country.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)