Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, appearing in a defamation hearing at an MP-MLA court on Friday, dismissed the allegations against him as a stunt for “cheap publicity”. Gandhi, represented by his lawyer Kashi Prasad Shukla, asserted that he never made any statement warranting defamation proceedings.
The lawsuit was initiated by local BJP leader Vijay Mishra on August 4, 2018, accusing Gandhi of making derogatory remarks about the then BJP president, now Home Minister, Amit Shah. The court has scheduled the next hearing for August 12, during which the petitioner’s statement will be recorded. It is indicated that Gandhi’s presence may not be required at that session.
Advocate Santosh Kumar Pandey, speaking for Mishra, noted that Gandhi had given his statement before Special Judge Shubham Verma and that further evidence would be presented at the upcoming hearing.
The Congress leader had previously interrupted his ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ in Amethi to attend court proceedings in February, where he was granted bail. On the day of his latest court appearance, a significant number of Congress supporters gathered at the court, which was heavily guarded by security forces.
