Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was granted bail on Wednesday by a Lucknow court in connection with a defamation case over his alleged remarks on the Indian Army during the 2022 Bharat Jodo Yatra. The court directed Gandhi to furnish two bonds of ₹20,000 each for the bail.
Court Appearance in Lucknow
Rahul Gandhi arrived at Lucknow Airport around 1 pm, accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai and party in-charge Avinash Pande, before heading to the Special MP/MLA Court in compliance with the summons.
The bail was granted by Additional CJM Alok Verma of the MP-MLA Court, marking Gandhi’s first personal appearance after skipping the last five hearings.
What Did Rahul Gandhi Say?
The case stems from Gandhi’s comments made on December 16, 2022, during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Referring to clashes between Indian and Chinese soldiers in the Galwan Valley, he had stated:
"Chinese troops are thrashing our soldiers, and no one is even asking questions about it."
"Chinese soldiers are beating our soldiers."
These statements triggered controversy, particularly as they came just days after an official statement from the Indian Army (on December 12, 2022), which said Indian forces had repelled a Chinese intrusion and that only minor injuries were reported on both sides.
Who Filed the Case?
The complaint was filed by Uday Shankar Srivastava, a former director of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). Srivastava alleged that Gandhi’s comments defamed the Indian Army and hurt his sentiments as a defence veteran.
Rahul Gandhi had earlier approached the Allahabad High Court seeking relief in the case, but his petition was dismissed.
