The ongoing Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will see a break on Tuesday as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been summoned to appear before the District Civil Court in Sultanpur in connection with a defamation case.
Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, announced that the yatra, currently on its 37th day, will halt on Tuesday morning and resume from Fursatganj in Amethi at 2 pm on Tuesday.
In a post on X, Ramesh stated, “Rahul Gandhi has been issued a summons to appear in the District Civil Court in Sultanpur tomorrow, February 20th, morning in connection with a defamation case filed by a BJP leader on August 4th, 2018. The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will, therefore, pause tomorrow morning and will resume the February 20th program at 2 pm from Fursatganj in Amethi.”
“Today’s program is continuing as scheduled, and at 4 PM, Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi will address a public meeting in Babuganj, Amethi,” he added.
The case dates back to 2018 when Rahul Gandhi made derogatory remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a Bengaluru conference, Subsequently, a complaint was filed against Rahul by the then BJP district vice president Vijay Mishra.
“I filed a complaint regarding this through my lawyer, and this continued for almost 5 years,” Vijay Mishra mentioned, recalling the allegations made by Rahul Gandhi during the Karnataka elections in Bengaluru.
Santosh Kumar Pandey, the lawyer representing Vijay Mishra, noted that if sufficient evidence is found against Rahul Gandhi, he could face a maximum punishment of two years. The case, filed in the District and Sessions Court of MP-MLA Court Sultanpur, has been scheduled for a hearing on February 20, 2024, with Rahul Gandhi summoned by Judge Yogesh Kumar Yadav.