Rahul Gandhi.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Lucknow: In a major relief to former Congress president and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, a court in Uttar Pradesh’s Chandausi district on Friday rejected a petition filed against him over his reported remarks that the Congress was ‘fighting the Indian State’.
Additional district judge (MP-MLA Court) Aarti Faujdar dismissed the petition, filed by an office bearer of the saffron outfit Hindu Shakti Dal a few months back.
Earlier the court had reserved its judgement in the matter on October 28 after hearing the lawyers of both sides.
Hindu Shakti Dal president Simran Gupta had filed a revision petition in the court after an ADJ court had rejected her application in the matter.
Rahul had reportedly said in January this year that ‘we are not fighting the BJP and the RSS but the Indian State itself’. His remarks had evoked sharp reactions from the BJP leaders, who had termed it ‘anti-national’.
The petitioner had contended that Rahul’s remark could have a destabilizing effect on the country.
Rahul’s lawyer Sagheer Saifi said that the district court conducted seven hearings in the matter and rejected the petition. The lawyer for Simran Gupta said that he would decide about challenging the judgement after he got a copy of the order.