Supreme Court Pauses Defamation Case Against Rahul Gandhi Regarding Amit Shah Comments
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Synopsis
The Supreme Court has put a hold on the defamation proceedings against Rahul Gandhi, initiated by a BJP worker over remarks made about Amit Shah. The court ruled that only the aggrieved party can file such complaints.
Key Takeaways
- Supreme Court intervenes in defamation case.
- Rahul Gandhi's remarks about Amit Shah led to controversy.
- Only aggrieved parties can file defamation suits.
- High Court previously dismissed Gandhi's plea.
- Case highlights the contentious nature of political discourse in India.
New Delhi, Jan 20 (NationPress) In a temporary ruling issued on Monday, the Supreme Court ordered the suspension of trial court proceedings in a defamation suit initiated by a BJP member against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi concerning his purportedly defamatory statements about Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
During a public address in Chaibasa, Jharkhand before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the prominent Congress figure labeled Shah a "murder accused".
A bench led by Justice Vikram Nath acknowledged the argument presented on Rahul Gandhi’s behalf, asserting that only an injured party, rather than a proxy, has the right to file a criminal defamation suit.
While putting a halt to the defamation proceedings until further notice, the bench, which also included Justice Sandeep Mehta, stated, "If you are not the aggrieved individual, how can a proxy file a complaint?"
"Notify the state of Jharkhand and the complainant. All trial proceedings shall remain suspended until further instructions," the apex court instructed.
In February of the previous year, the Jharkhand High Court rejected Rahul Gandhi’s request to dismiss the criminal defamation action initiated by BJP leader Navin Jha.
Gandhi accused the BJP leadership of being "liars" intoxicated by power, stating that while BJP supporters may accept a person "accused of murder" as their party president, the same would not be true for the Congress party.
“Citizens of this nation are willing to accept a deceptive Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership intoxicated with power because they understand what the party stands for. They will accept someone accused of murder as the President of the BJP, but the populace will never accept that in the Congress Party,” stated Rahul Gandhi. The complaint asserted that Gandhi’s claim was not only false but also an affront to all the workers, supporters, and leaders dedicated to the BJP.
In its ruling, a bench led by Justice Ambuj Nath of the Jharkhand High Court concluded that the statement was prima facie defamatory and established a prima facie case under sections 499/500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Rahul Gandhi for branding the BJP leadership as liars and intoxicated with power.
