Rahul Gandhi appeared in a Sultanpur court on Friday in connection with a defamation suit and said the case was politically motivated and that the petitioner’s objective was to seek publicity. ADVERTISEMENTVijay Mishra, a local BJP leader, had filed the case in 2018, accusing the Congress MP of defaming Union home minister Amit Shah, who was then the BJP national president. He had his statement recorded in the court in July 2024 but did not appear personally at the next two hearings. Defamation cases have been filed against Rahul — over the same purported remark — in Darbhanga (Bihar) and Bhiwandi (Maharashtra). Rahul arrived at Lucknow airport on a chartered flight and was driven 140km to Sultanpur, close to his constituency of Rae Bareli.

Source: The Telegraph February 21, 2026 06:54 UTC