INDIA bloc criticises SC for remarks on Rahul Gandhi in defamation case
In a joint statement issued after a meeting of INDIA bloc floor leaders in Parliament, the opposition alliance expressed concern over the SC's comments directed at the Lok Sabha leader of opposition.
'Today, during the meeting of the INDIA floor leaders, the remarks of a sitting judge of the Supreme Court on the Leader of Opposition (in Lok Sabha) Rahul Gandhi were discussed. All the leaders of the INDIA parties agreed that the sitting judge has made an extraordinary observation which is unwarranted on the democratic rights of political parties,' the joint statement said.
Emphasising the role of opposition leaders, the opposition bloc said, 'When a government fails so spectacularly to defend our borders, it is every citizen's moral duty to hold it accountable.'
On August 4, the SC bench comprising justices Dipankar Datta and AG Masih stayed the defamation proceedings against Rahul Gandhi but made a pointed observation. Referring to Gandhi's alleged comments during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which linked the Galwan Valley clash to Prime Minister Modi's handling of the border situation, the bench remarked, 'If you are a true Indian, you would not say all these things.'
Rahul Gandhi's sister and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also defended him and said the judiciary does not have the mandate to judge patriotism.
'With due respect to the honourable judges of the Supreme Court, they do not decide who is a true Indian. It is the job of the opposition leader; it is his duty to ask questions and to challenge the government. My brother would never say anything against the Army. He holds the Army in the highest respect. So it is a misinterpretation (of his remarks),' she said.
The case pertains to Gandhi's December 2022 speech where he allegedly said, 'Chinese troops are thrashing Indian soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh', and claimed that 2,000 sq km of Indian land had been occupied by China. These remarks, according to the complaint filed by former BRO director Uday Shankar Srivastava, amounted to defamation.
During the proceedings, justice Datta pressed Gandhi's counsel on the source of the information: 'Tell us, how do you get to know that 2,000 square kilometres of Indian territory have been occupied by the Chinese? Were you there? Do you have any credible material? Why do you make these statements without having any?' He further questioned why such claims were made at public rallies rather than raised in Parliament.
The Supreme Court's rebuke was quickly seized upon by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with Union minister Kiren Rijiju calling it a 'tough lesson' for Rahul Gandhi. 'The Supreme Court rebukes Shri Rahul Gandhi for the irresponsible claim that Chinese occupied Indian Territory! The Supreme Court has given Shri Rahul Gandhi ji a tough message and lesson,' Rijiju posted on X on Monday.
Echoing similar criticism, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said, 'The SC's advice that an Indian should not speak about the country like this, but Rahul Gandhi doesn't understand this. This is not the first time that Rahul Gandhi has been rapped by the apex court. He should understand that he is the Leader of Opposition and he should speak accordingly.'
The Congress, however, hit back at the government, accusing it of dodging serious questions on national security. 'Since June 15, 2020, when our 20 brave soldiers were martyred in Galwan, several critical questions have been arising in the minds of every patriotic Indian. However, over the past five years, instead of answering these questions, the Modi government has adopted a policy of hiding and deflecting the truth, which we can call DDLJ: Deny, Distract, Lie, and Justify,' Congress MP Jairam Ramesh wrote on X.
Congress MP and deputy leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, voiced his disapproval and said, 'The remarks made by the Supreme Court judge were shocking. It was a comment on the democratic rights of the political parties, and an attempt to set a limit on their rights.'
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