The Allahabad High Court has scheduled September 3 as the next date of hearing on a petition filed by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who has challenged an order passed by a Varanasi court in connection with his remarks on Sikhs during a 2024 event in the United States.
The case stems from a complaint filed by Varanasi resident Nageshwar Mishra, who sought registration of an FIR against Gandhi, alleging that his comments about the environment in India not being conducive for Sikhs were “provocative” and “divisive.” Mishra initially approached the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM), but the plea was rejected on November 28, 2024, with the court noting that the statement was made abroad and therefore beyond its jurisdiction.
Mishra later filed a revision plea, which was allowed by the Special Judge (MP/MLA) court in Varanasi on July 21, 2025. The court directed the ACJM to reconsider the complaint and hear the matter afresh.
Gandhi has now moved the Allahabad High Court, contending that the Varanasi court’s decision was “wrong, illegal, and without jurisdiction.” His revision petition came up before Justice Sameer Jain on Monday. On the request of Mishra’s counsel, the court adjourned the matter and fixed September 3 for the next hearing.
The controversy dates back to September 2024, when Gandhi, addressing a programme in America, remarked that Sikhs were facing an “unfavourable environment” in India. The statement triggered protests and demands for legal action, but attempts to lodge a case at Varanasi’s Sarnath Police Station did not succeed.
