Congress General Secretary for Communications, Jairam Ramesh, announced on Monday that the ongoing Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra would be temporarily paused as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been summoned to appear before the District Civil Court in Sultanpur in connection with a defamation case.
"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," the Congress leader posted on X.
Yatra paused temporarily
Jairam Ramesh took to social media to inform people that the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, currently in its 37th day, will halt on Tuesday morning and resume from Fursatganj in Amethi at 2 pm. The pause is in response to Rahul Gandhi's summons to appear in court on February 20th regarding a defamation case filed by a BJP leader in 2018.
Defamation case details
Rahul Gandhi faces a summons from the MP/MLA court on February 20th for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a conference in Bengaluru in 2018. The complaint was lodged by the then BJP District Vice President, Vijay Mishra.
Legal implications
Vijay Mishra, the complainant, expressed his grievance over Rahul Gandhi's accusation against Amit Shah and emphasised his pursuit of justice for nearly five years. According to Santosh Kumar Pandey, Mishra's lawyer, Rahul Gandhi could face a maximum penalty of 2 years if found guilty.
Court proceedings
The case was filed in the District and Sessions Court of MP-MLA Court Sultanpur on August 4, 2018, following Rahul Gandhi's statement during the Karnataka elections in Bengaluru. Judge Yogesh Kumar Yadav has summoned Rahul Gandhi to appear before the court on February 20th.
