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00:52The legal pressure on the prominent opposition leader intensifies.
00:57What led to this moment and what's next?
01:00Let's explore the full timeline.
01:04Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is facing renewed legal scrutiny after a special MP MLA court
01:09in Chaibasa, Jharkhand issued a non-billable warrant against him in a defamation case stemming
01:15from remarks he made during a Congress plenary session in 2018.
01:21The court has directed the senior Congress MP to appear in person on 26 June, rejecting
01:27his plea for exemption from personal appearance.
01:31The case, rooted in controversial comments targeting then-BJP President Amit Shah, has been ongoing
01:37for nearly seven years, marking yet another chapter in Gandhi's prolonged legal battles.
01:44Background of the case
01:47The defamation case was filed by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Pratap Gatyar following
01:52a speech made by Rahul Gandhi at a Congress event in 2018.
01:58During the plenary session, Gandhi allegedly said, no murderer can become the national president
02:04in Congress.
02:07Congressmen cannot accept the murderer as the national president.
02:10This is possible only in the BJP.
02:14These remarks were perceived as directly targeting Amit Shah, who at that time was the president
02:20of the BJP and had previously faced allegations related to the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case,
02:26from which he was later acquitted.
02:29Pratap Gatyar filed the defamation complaint on 9 July 2018, before the Chief Judicial Magistrate
02:36CJM in Chaibasa, arguing that Gandhi's statements were defamatory and insulting not just to Shah,
02:43but to all BJP members.
02:46Legal Proceedings and Delays
02:49Initially, the case proceeded in the CJM court in Chaibasa.
02:54However, following a directive from the Jharkhand High Court in 2020, the case was transferred
03:00to the MPMLA court in Ranchi for jurisdictional reasons.
03:05After some time, it was redirected back to the MPMLA court in Chaibasa, where the magistrate
03:11formally took connoissance and summoned Gandhi.
03:15Despite multiple court summonses over the years, Gandhi failed to appear.
03:21In response, the court issued a bailable warrant in April 2022.
03:26When Gandhi still did not respond, the matter escalated further.
03:31His legal team then approached the Jharkhand High Court seeking a stay on the warrant, and
03:36the court granted temporary relief, staying the warrant for several months.
03:42In March 2024, the High Court disposed of Gandhi's plea, allowing the trial to resume
03:48at the lower court.
03:50As the case moved forward, Gandhi's legal counsel once again requested exemption from
03:56personal appearance, but the Chaibasa court rejected the application.
04:02Following this repeated absence and the rejection of exemption pleas, the Chaibasa MPMLA court took
04:07a stricter stance and issued a non-bailable warrant in May 2025, ordering Rahul Gandhi to appear
04:14before the court on 26 June.
04:22In addition to the Chaibasa proceedings, Rahul Gandhi is also entangled in a similar defamation
04:28case in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, filed by local BJP leader Vijay Mishra.
04:34This case also stems from his 2018 remarks against Amit Shah during the Karnatic Assembly elections.
04:42Mishra claimed Gandhi's comments were defamatory and hurt the sentiments of BJP supporters.
04:49The Sultanpur case has also seen multiple delays.
04:53A hearing scheduled for 17 May 2025 was postponed due to a lawyer's workshop, pushing the next
05:00court date to 2 June 2025.
05:04Earlier, on 28th April, the court conducted a cross-examination of a witness, Anil Mishra,
05:12presented by the complainant's lawyer, Santosh Kumar Pandey.
05:16However, the session remained incomplete.
05:19Notably, in December 2023, after over 5 years of back-and-forth litigation, the Sultanpur court
05:27issued a warrant against Gandhi.
05:30He voluntarily surrendered before the court in February 2024 and was granted bail upon providing
05:36to shorties of Rs. 25,000 each.
05:40During his court appearance on 26th July 2024, Rahul Gandhi claimed innocents, calling the defamation
05:48charges political conspiracy.
05:52Multiple hearings in the Sultanpur case were earlier delayed due to a strike by lawyers and
05:57the ill health of Gandhi's legal counsel.
05:59Gandhi's lawyer, Kashi Prasad Shukla, eventually completed the cross-examination of the complainant
06:06on 11 February 2025.
06:11Implications and Political Reactions
06:14The issuance of a non-bailable warrant against a sitting member of parliament and prominent
06:19opposition leader is a significant development, particularly as political tensions remain high
06:25in the lead-up to future elections.
06:28While Gandhi and his party maintain that these legal actions are politically motivated, the
06:33BJP asserts that the cases are legitimate responses to defamatory speech.
06:40Gandhi's statements have repeatedly drawn sharp reactions from BJP leaders who argue that
06:45his rhetoric crosses the line into personal attacks and misinformation.
06:50Meanwhile, Congress supporters view the legal challenges as part of a broader strategy
06:55to stifle dissent and weaken opposition voices.
07:02With the Chaibasa court setting 26 June as the date for Rahul Gandhi's personal appearance,
07:08all eyes are on how he and his legal team respond.
07:12If he fails to appear, further legal action, potentially including arrest, could follow.
07:18The Sultanpur case also resumes shortly thereafter, on 2 June, and may influence the political discourse
07:26in the weeks ahead.
07:28As the legal saga unfolds, Rahul Gandhi finds himself not only defending his statements in court
07:35but also navigating the complex intersection of law and politics in modern India.
07:41Whether these cases conclude with conviction, acquittal, or further appeals, they are likely to remain
07:47central to public and political debate for months to come.
07:50As Rahul Gandhi's legal troubles the pain, the courtroom battles surrounding his 2018 remarks continue
07:58to shape the national political narrative.
08:01With key hearings approaching in both Chaibasa and Sultanpur, the stakes are high not just for Gandhi
08:09but for the broader democratic discourse.
08:11We'll be tracking every development closely.
08:15That's all for now.
08:18Stay tuned to Democratic News TV for accurate, in-depth coverage.
08:23I'm Shibnath.
08:26Jai Hind!
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