​​​​​​​New Delhi, October 27: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday welcomed the acquittal of Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi in a 2018 criminal defamation case by a special MP-MLA court in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh. She alleged that her brother had been subjected to a campaign of defamation and legal harassment for speaking fearlessly against those in power.

In a post on X, Priyanka Gandhi praised Rahul Gandhi’s resilience amid legal challenges and political criticism, expressing confidence that the truth would eventually prevail.

“The truth can never be suppressed for long. This government has spent unprecedented resources on a filthy campaign to malign my brother, to defame him and slap bogus cases on him simply for fearlessly telling the truth. It takes immense courage, tenacity and the perseverance of a true warrior to stand against an onslaught of lies the way he has. One by one, the chips will fall. The truth will emerge clear and strong. This is just the beginning,” she wrote.

The development comes amid renewed political discussion after Rahul Gandhi shared the Sanskrit phrase “Satyam Shivam Sundaram” on his official X account, accompanied by a graphic resembling the tripundra, the three horizontal markings traditionally associated with Lord Shiva.

The acquittal was pronounced on October 26 by the Special MP-MLA Court in Sultanpur, which was hearing a criminal defamation complaint filed by local BJP leader Vijay Mishra in August 2018.

The complaint stemmed from remarks Rahul Gandhi allegedly made about then BJP national president Amit Shah during a press conference in Bengaluru ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections in 2018. Mishra had claimed that the remarks were defamatory.

Special Judge Shubham Verma, who had heard the final arguments earlier in October, delivered the verdict acquitting Rahul Gandhi. The court reportedly held that the remarks did not meet the legal requirements for criminal defamation under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). It also found that the complainant did not qualify as an “aggrieved person” legally entitled to initiate the criminal complaint.

The ruling marks a significant development in the long-running case and has prompted fresh reactions from Congress leaders, with Priyanka Gandhi describing the outcome as a step towards the eventual triumph of truth.