Rahul Gandhi has been summoned by a local court in Chaibasa, Jharkhand, to appear in person before June 26 as part of a defamation case against him. The court passed the order during a hearing on Thursday when the complainant accused Gandhi of making defamatory statements against people from the “Modi” community during an earlier political address.
The case was filed by local BJP leader Pratap Singh, who claimed that Gandhi’s comments, made during the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign, had hurt the sentiments of the entire community. According to Singh, Gandhi’s repeated statements implying criminality in association with the “Modi” surname were defamatory and deliberately provocative.
Judicial Magistrate Nandlal Tiwari, having heard the arguments and evidence put forward, ordered that a notice be issued to Rahul Gandhi for personal appearance by the date specified. In case of default, the court could entertain more stringent legal action, such as issuing a warrant.
This is the second time Gandhi has been facing legal issues due to his comments on the “Modi” surname. In another such case a year ago, Gandhi was convicted by a Gujarat court in a defamation case, but the sentence was stayed by a superior court later. Gandhi has insisted that his comments were political and not aimed at any one specific community.
Congress leaders responded to the order of the Chaibasa court by describing it as another instance of “political vendetta” against their party leader. “This is part of a larger pattern to silence voices critical of the ruling regime,” Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said.
While BJP leaders appreciated the court judgment, they said no leader is above the law. “Rahul Gandhi should be held accountable for his polarizing remarks and meet the legal reckoning,” Jharkhand BJP president Deepak Prakash said.
The case is likely to add to Gandhi’s ongoing legal challenges as he continues to campaign across the country ahead of upcoming assembly elections. His legal team has yet to respond publicly to the court’s latest summons.
