The hearing in a defamation case filed against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was adjourned on Thursday by the MP-MLA court, following lawyers abstaining from work owing to ongoing Bar Association elections.
The court has now scheduled the next hearing for August 8.
The case stems from 2018, when BJP leader Vijay Mishra filed a defamation suit alleging that Rahul Gandhi made objectionable remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a campaign speech for the Karnataka Assembly elections.
According to Advocate Santosh Kumar Pandey, who represents Mishra, the proceedings could not move forward as the legal fraternity abstained from court duties due to the elections of the Bar association.
The MP-MLA court had earlier issued a warrant against Gandhi in December 2023. He subsequently surrendered before the court in February 2024 and was granted bail on two sureties of ₹25,000 each.
On July 26, 2024, Gandhi appeared before the court to record his statement. He denied the allegations, claiming that the defamation case was politically motivated and part of a larger conspiracy to target him.
