New Delhi, August 4: The Supreme Court on Monday criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his alleged comments regarding the Indian Army following a 2022 border clash with Chinese troops in the Yangtse region of Arunachal Pradesh.
A bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih questioned the basis of Gandhi’s statement that China had occupied 2,000 square kilometres of Indian territory.
The court expressed strong disapproval, with Justice Datta remarking, “How do you get to know that 2,000 square kilometres of Indian territory was occupied by China? What is the credible material? If you are a true Indian, you would not say this. When there is a conflict across borders... can you say all this?”
The bench also questioned why Gandhi had made these comments on social media instead of raising them in Parliament.
"Whatever you have to say, why don’t you say it in Parliament? Why do you have to post it on social media?" Justice Datta asked senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who represented Gandhi.
Despite its concerns, the Supreme Court stayed proceedings before the trial court in the defamation case and issued a notice to the complainant, Uday Shankar Srivastava, a former Director of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
Previously, on May 29, the Allahabad High Court had dismissed Gandhi’s plea to quash the defamation case and a summoning order issued in February 2025 by a special MP/MLA court in Lucknow.
Srivastava filed the defamation complaint based on Gandhi's remarks made during his 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' on December 16, 2022. According to the complaint, Gandhi made statements that allegedly defamed the Indian Army while speaking to the media and a public gathering.
During the event, Gandhi had said: "People will ask about Bharat Jodo Yatra, Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot and all that, but no one will ask about China capturing 2,000 square kilometres of Indian territory, killing 20 Indian soldiers, and thrashing our soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh. The Indian press doesn’t ask questions about this. Isn't it true? The nation is watching. Don't pretend that people don't know."
Srivastava claimed the statement was false, defamatory, and intended to demoralize the Indian Army. He asserted that during the December 9, 2022 clash in Arunachal’s Yangtse region, the Indian Army successfully repelled the Chinese troops and protected the territory under its control.
The Supreme Court’s intervention has temporarily halted lower court proceedings as it examines the matter further.
(With agency inputs)
