Lucknow: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was granted bail on Tuesday by the MP/MLA Court in Lucknow in connection with a defamation case related to his remarks about the Indian Army during his Bharat Jodo Yatra. The court directed him to furnish two personal sureties of ₹20,000 each. The next hearing in the matter has been scheduled for August 13.
The case was filed by retired Border Roads Organisation (BRO) Director Uday Shankar Srivastava, who alleged that Gandhi made objectionable statements regarding the Indian Army while addressing the media and the public on December 16, 2022. During that interaction, Gandhi had referenced the December 9 clash between Indian and Chinese forces in Arunachal Pradesh, which Srivastava claimed tarnished the reputation of the Indian armed forces.
On Tuesday, Gandhi appeared in court accompanied by a large Congress delegation, including Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai, Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari, former minister Nasruddin Siddiqui, and MP Tanuj Punia, among others. Tensions flared briefly when senior Congress leaders clashed with police officers over restricted entry into the court premises. While Gandhi’s convoy was allowed in, other leaders were initially stopped at the gate, leading to a heated exchange.
Gandhi’s lawyer, Sanjeev Pandey, confirmed that two bail bonds of ₹20,000 each were submitted as surety for the Congress leader. The court ordered his release on bail and scheduled the next date of hearing for August 13.
Earlier, Gandhi had approached the Allahabad High Court seeking relief against the summons, but the plea was dismissed, forcing him to appear in the Lucknow court.
The case marks another legal hurdle for the Congress MP amid his ongoing political engagements, and it has once again brought national attention to the fallout of his statements during the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
