Rahul Gandhi appears in U.P. court, calls defamation case against him "politically motivated"

Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, appeared before the MP-MLA court in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on Friday for a hearing in a defamation case filed against him by a local BJP leader. During the hearing, Gandhi called the case "politically motivated" and claimed it was filed to malign his image.

Image Credit: PTI

Local BJP leader Vijay Mishra filed the case on August 4, 2018, against Rahul Gandhi for making alleged objectionable remarks against Amit Shah

The case stems from objectionable remarks Gandhi allegedly made against Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a press conference in Bengaluru in 2018. BJP leader Vijay Mishra, who was the district vice president at the time, filed the defamation case on August 4, 2018.

The court granted Gandhi bail in the matter on February 20 and fixed August 12 as the next date of hearing, when the statement of the petitioner will be recorded. Gandhi has been exempted from personal appearance on the next date.

During the hearing, Gandhi recorded his statement and answered the questions asked by the court. He denied the allegations and said he was being framed for political reasons.

The Congress leader was accorded a warm welcome by party workers who had gathered in large numbers. On his way back to Lucknow to board a flight for Delhi, Gandhi stopped at a cobbler's shop and spoke to him about his work.