'True Patriot, Spoke In Interest Of Sikh Community': Rahul Gandhi Defends Remarks Made During US Trip In Varanasi Court

The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has filed his response before a Varanasi court opposing a revision plea seeking registration of an FIR against him for allegedly making inflammatory remarks about Sikhs during a visit to the United States (in September 2024). In a written reply filed before an MP/MLA Court, Gandhi asserted that the revision petition, filed by Nageshwar Mishra, is politically motivated and that there is no legal ground to initiate any criminal action against him. Calling himself a 'true patriot', Gandhi has submitted that he has a deep respect for all religions and communities, including the Sikh community, and that his remarks were actually "in the interest of the Sikh community and to highlight their contribution". “…the statement…during visit to America is in relation to the atrocities being committed on a particular community (Sikhs) all over the world, which is not against the Sikh community but has been given in the honour of the Sikh community and in their interest and has been given outside India, there is nothing in it which has insulted the Sikh community or hurt the sentiments of any person of the said community”, Gandhi has argued. He maintained that he had not made any statement that could incite enmity between communities, nor was there any criminal intent behind his words. “…the above news item was seen and heard by 140 crore citizens of India, but except for the revisionist, no other Indian was concerned over it, which clearly shows that there is nothing objectionable in the above news/statement”, Gandhi has argued in his reply. Gandhi further stated that the complaint stems from political malice, and no offence under law is made out against him. His reply also contends that for an alleged offence committed outside India, the proviso to Section 208 BNSS provides that no such offence could be inquired into or tried in India except with the previous sanction of the Central Government. For context, a plea was filed by Mishra last year claiming that Gandhi had made the objectionable statement during his visit to America by stating that there is an atmosphere of insecurity among Sikhs in India. In his plea, it was alleged that the statement was a provocation, and by making it, he was inciting people to fight for his political interests. His plea was dismissed by the court on November 28, 2024, following which, Mishra filed the instant revision plea, on which a notice was earlier issued to Gandhi.

'True Patriot, Spoke In Interest Of Sikh Community': Rahul Gandhi Defends Remarks Made During US Trip In Varanasi Court

Sparsh Upadhyay

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