By: The Trek News Desk
The Supreme Court on Thursday (December 4, 2025) extended its interim order halting the trial court proceedings against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi until April 22, 2026. The case pertains to his alleged derogatory remarks about the Indian Army made during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in 2022.
A Bench of Justices M. M. Sundresh and Satish Chandra Sharma admitted Mr Gandhi’s appeal challenging the Allahabad High Court’s May 29 order, which had refused to set aside the trial court’s summoning order.
Earlier Stay Now Extended
During a previous hearing on August 4, the Supreme Court had stayed all further proceedings before the Lucknow trial court. The same interim protection has now been extended for several more months while the apex court examines the matter in detail.
Bench’s Sharp Questions on the Remarks
When the matter first came up, the Bench questioned the basis of Mr Gandhi’s alleged statements regarding the Chinese occupation of Indian territory. The court had asked:
“How did you conclude that 2,000 sq. km of Indian land was occupied by China? Were you present there? Do you have credible material? Why make such statements without evidence? A true Indian would not speak like this.”
Following this, the Supreme Court issued notices to the Uttar Pradesh government and the complainant, seeking their responses.
Arguments from Rahul Gandhi’s Side
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Mr Gandhi, argued that preventing the Leader of the Opposition from raising issues of public concern would set a troubling precedent.
He referred to Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, noting that a court must provide an opportunity to hear the accused before taking cognisance of a criminal complaint, a requirement he said was ignored in this case.
Background of the Case
The complaint was filed by Uday Shanker Srivastava, a resident of Lucknow, who alleged that during the December 2022 leg of the yatra, Rahul Gandhi made “insulting” remarks about the Indian Army in the context of India-China border clashes.
The trial court subsequently summoned Mr Gandhi for the alleged offence of defamation.
His counsel, Pranshu Agarwal, argued that the allegations in the complaint appear “fabricated on their face” and that the court should have conducted a preliminary inquiry before summoning him, especially since Mr Gandhi is not a resident of Lucknow.
Source: News Agencies
