India’s opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has been summoned by the MP-MLA court in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, over allegations of making derogatory remarks about the Indian Army.
A summons notice has already been sent to him. This court in Lucknow is a specialized court that exclusively handles cases involving Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs), according to a report by NDTV.
The notice was issued following a case filed by Shankar Srivastava, the former director of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which operates under the Indian Army. The notice states that Rahul Gandhi must appear before the court on any day in the last week of March.
According to the charge sheet, during a public rally in December 2022, as part of Congress’s Bharat Jodo campaign, Rahul Gandhi had remarked, “Chinese soldiers are beating up Indian soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh.”
The charge sheet further states that such a comment from a responsible politician and public representative has tarnished the dignity of the Indian Army.
However, a close associate of Rahul Gandhi told the media that his remarks were intended as criticism of the ruling BJP and that he had no intention of disrespecting the army.
Rahul Gandhi, the leader of India’s main opposition party, has consistently been a strong critic of the BJP. The BJP, in turn, has not held back in its responses.
Several BJP leaders have labeled Rahul as “anti-national.” Some have even alleged that he and his family members regularly received funds from China for the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, an organization named after his father. However, these accusations have not deterred Rahul from continuing his criticism of the BJP.