Sultanpur, October 26, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
A special MP-MLA court in Sultanpur on Monday acquitted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case over remarks he allegedly made against Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was the BJP president at the time.
Gandhi was present in court when the verdict was pronounced. The court held that his remarks did not constitute defamation, bringing an end to the case filed in 2018 by local BJP leader Vijay Mishra, a former chairman of the Sultanpur District Cooperative Bank.
The complaint stemmed from a speech Gandhi delivered at a campaign rally in Bengaluru ahead of the 2018 Karnataka Assembly elections. Mishra alleged that Gandhi had made derogatory remarks about Shah by questioning the BJP’s commitment to clean politics while referring to its president as a person accused in a murder case.
Gandhi appeared before the court for the final proceedings on Monday after travelling to Sultanpur via Lucknow. Following the acquittal, Congress leaders and supporters celebrated outside the court with drums and slogans.
Gandhi’s counsel, Kashi Prasad Shukla, said the legal team respectfully accepted the court’s decision and described the outcome as a vindication of the Congress leader.
The case had remained pending for several years. Gandhi appeared before the court in February 2024 and was granted bail on personal bonds. Subsequent hearings included proceedings to record his statement and arguments from both sides.
Before the verdict, the complainant’s counsel, Santosh Kumar Pandey, had outlined the possible outcomes, including acquittal or conviction, with a maximum sentence of two years’ imprisonment and a possible fine under the applicable provisions.
The court’s ruling clears Gandhi in this particular defamation case.
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