The legal saga began during the 2018 Karnataka assembly election campaign. On May 8, 2018, Rahul Gandhi, a prominent leader of the Congress party, addressed a political rally in Bengaluru. During his speech, Gandhi directed criticism toward Amit Shah, who was then serving as the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The remarks ignited a political firestorm, leading to a criminal defamation complaint.
By August 4, 2018, the political friction had transitioned into the courtroom. Vijay Mishra, a BJP leader and former chairman of the Sultanpur District Cooperative Bank, filed a formal criminal defamation complaint against Gandhi in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Had the court found the accusations of defamation to be substantiated, Gandhi could have faced a maximum sentence of two years in prison.
#WATCH | Lucknow, UP: On Rahul Gandhi's acquittal in a 2018 criminal defamation case, State Congress President Aradhana Mishra Mona says, "This is a victory for the faith of our leader, Rahul Gandhi. We had complete trust in our judiciary; the truth cannot be suppressed for long—the truth remains the truth, and it always triumphs over falsehood. Today, that is exactly what happened: truth has prevailed over a lie..."
After the complaint and subsequent stages of the proceedings, the case reached its conclusion in a special MP/MLA court in Sultanpur. The court delivered its judgment, dismissing the criminal defamation case against Rahul Gandhi. The court cited a lack of sufficient evidence and various technical considerations for the dismissal. The ruling cleared Gandhi of the charges, with the court determining that the comments in question did not meet the legal threshold for defamation.
The court cited a lack of sufficient evidence and various technical considerations for the dismissal.
For the Congress party, the acquittal was a significant victory. Aradhana Mishra ‘Mona’ underscored the party’s stance, stating, "We have complete faith in the judiciary. Rahul Gandhi ji is going to Sultanpur for that case only." Following the proceedings, Gandhi’s lawyer, Kashi Prasad Shukla, confirmed that the court had declared his client innocent of the charges. Before the judgment, the litigation had progressed through court appearances, bail proceedings and witness hearings before the special court dismissed the case.
VIDEO | Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Congress president Aradhna Mishra, reacting to the Sultanpur court acquitting Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case, says, "Truth has won today. The truth of our warrior for justice, Rahul Gandhi, has prevailed. Lies have been defeated, and an attempt was made as part of a conspiracy to implicate Rahul Gandhi. Today, the court has acquitted him with dignity. We had faith in the judiciary, and we continue to have faith in it, because this is a long battle. There are many cases, but we have faith in the judiciary." (Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/bIyFWTeOLF)