Rahul Gandhi arrives in UP for hearing in defamation case
What's the story
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrived in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on Friday to appear before a court in connection with a defamation case against him, according to a report by news agency ANI. The case was filed after Gandhi allegedly made remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah during an election rally in Bengaluru ahead of the Karnataka elections. He arrived at Lucknow Airport to attend the hearing, accompanied by senior Congress leaders Pramod Tiwari, Aradhana Mishra, and Ajay Rai.
Leaders' statements
BJP continuously filing false cases against him: Tiwari
Tiwari, a Rajya Sabha MP, slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for allegedly filing false cases against Gandhi across India. He was quoted as saying, "The BJP is continuously filing false and fabricated cases against him (Rahul Gandhi) across the entire country." Mishra expressed support from all party workers for Gandhi. She said, "Rahul Gandhi will today attend the hearing in Sultanpur for the case currently underway in court there."
Case background
Details of the defamation case
Rai added that Gandhi has a scheduled programme in Sultanpur and will personally appear before the court. The defamation case was registered at the District and Sessions Court of MP-MLA Court, Sultanpur, on August 4, 2018. The case stems from remarks allegedly made by Gandhi against Shah during a pre-election rally in Bengaluru.