THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, August 4: The Supreme Court on Monday delivered a sharp reprimand to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his controversial statement alleging that China had seized 2,000 square kilometers of Indian territory.
The bench remarked that a “true Indian” would not say it, particularly from someone holding the position of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
Despite its criticism, the court granted Gandhi interim relief by staying the defamation proceedings initiated against him in connection with the remark.
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A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih posed a pointed question during the hearing: “How did you know about 2,000 km being annexed by the Chinese? Why would you say these things? Why will you not ask these questions in Parliament?”
Gandhi’s statement originated during his 2022 Bharat Jodo Yatra, where he claimed a retired Army officer had told him about China occupying Indian land.
The defamation complaint, however, accuses him of making derogatory comments about the Army amid the border standoff.
The petitioner, Udai Shanker Srivastava, a former Director of the Border Roads Organisation, alleged that Gandhi’s remarks tarnished the image of the armed forces.
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Prior to approaching the Supreme Court, Gandhi had challenged the criminal complaint and the summoning order in the Allahabad High Court, calling the case politically motivated and malicious. His plea was rejected by the High Court on May 29, prompting him to seek relief from the apex court.
