New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday quashed the criminal defamation complaint and the magistrate’s summoning order against the leader of the opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi. This is in connection to a case linked to his remarks about Hindutva ideologue, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
A bench of Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Sheel Nagu set aside the proceedings, reported HT. The court observed that the Uttar Pradesh government had not given the sanction needed to prosecute Gandhi.
Earlier, Gandhi had challenged a trial court’s order summoning him. He, thereafter, moved the SC after the Allahabad HC refused to stop the proceedings.
According to reports, Gandhi had called Savarkar a collaborator of the British. Following such a remark, a criminal complaint was lodged against him. A magistrate in UP had also issued summons against Gandhi.
The bench allowed his petition on Friday, reported HT.
The court also noted that the criminal case lacked the specific sanction required by law to prosecute Gandhi.
