Delhi, 4 August (H.S.): The Supreme Court has put a hold on the criminal defamation proceedings against Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition, regarding his comments on the Indian Army's actions during the 2020 Galwan Valley clash with China. Although the court granted interim relief, it expressed discontent with Gandhi's comments. Senior Advocate Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Gandhi, argued for the importance of an opposition leader raising significant issues.

Justice Dipankar Datta questioned the basis for Gandhi's claims, especially regarding a purported 2,000 sq km territory loss to China, suggesting these lacked credible evidence and could imply national disloyalty. Singhvi contended that the intention was to address issues like information suppression but acknowledged that Gandhi could have communicated his concerns better. Justice Datta remarked that there are appropriate venues for such discussions.

Moreover, Singhvi pointed out a procedural issue under Section 223 BNSS, indicating a prior hearing was not conducted before pursuing the complaint—a point overlooked in the High Court hearings. The High Court had previously dismissed Gandhi's plea, asserting that freedom of speech does not permit defamatory remarks against the Army, following a complaint by Uday Shankar Srivastava, a former Border Roads Organisation director, who accused Gandhi of demoralizing armed forces during his Bharat Jodo Yatra in December 2022.Gandhi faced criticism in court for his comments, particularly about Chinese troops allegedly overpowering Indian soldiers and the claim of lost territory.

The court issued a notice against Gandhi's petition to quash the case while acknowledging procedural missteps in the criminal complaint. The proceedings are on hold for three weeks as these issues are assessed, following the High Court's rejection of Gandhi's earlier challenge to the summons issued against him.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar