SC questions Rahul Gandhi's 2,000 sq km China claim in defamation case

'Say it in Parliament, not social media': Supreme Court rebukes Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's 2022 statements in defamation case

The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday issued a sharp rebuke to Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LOP) Rahul Gandhi over his claims that China had occupied over 2,000 square kilometres of Indian territory, questioning the source of the figure and urging political restraint in matters of national security.

 

The top court did, however, grant interim relief to the Congress leader by staying proceedings in a criminal defamation case filed against him for his remarks on the Indian Army during the 2020 Galwan Valley clash.

 

'If you are a true Indian, you will not say these things': SC to Rahul Gandhi

 

Hearing a case related to Gandhi’s public statements on the Indian Army and territorial integrity, a bench of the apex court said, “If you are a true Indian, you will not say these things.” The court also reminded Gandhi of his constitutional responsibility as the LOP, adding, “Say things in Parliament, not on social media.”

 

During his Bharat Jodo Yatra in December 2022, Rahul Gandhi had said, "Before I came to this press conference, I was having lunch with my friend and said I can bet that the media will not ask any question about China. They will ask about yatra, Sachin Pilot, Ashok Gehlot, everything but not China who captured 2,000 square km area of India, who martyred 20 jawans, who is thrashing our jawans in Arunachal. But the Indian press will not ask anything about this on me. Brother, desh dekh rahe hai. Don't think the country is not seeing." 

 

Case filed by ex-BRO director

 

The complaint was filed by former Border Roads Organisation (BRO) Director Uday Shankar Srivastava, who alleged that Gandhi’s remarks defamed the Indian Army by claiming that the Chinese Army was “thrashing” Indian soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh and that the media was silent on the issue.

 

Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Gandhi, argued that the remarks were made in the context of transparency and suppression of information, not intended to undermine the armed forces or national interest. The bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and A G Masih, however, questioned the basis of Gandhi’s claims, adding that it was irresponsible to make such public statements without credible sources.

 

Rahul Gandhi defamation case pending in court

 

The defamation case is currently pending before a Lucknow MP-MLA court, which had earlier observed that Gandhi’s statements could potentially demoralise the armed forces and their families. Gandhi had approached the SC after the Allahabad High Court rejected his plea on May 29, stating that freedom of speech does not extend to making defamatory statements against the Army.

 

An interim stay on the proceedings has been granted for three weeks.

 

(With agency inputs)