An MP-MLA court in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi district has dismissed a petition filed against the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, over his alleged remarks on Lord Ram, referring to him as a 'mythological figure' during a speech at a US university in May 2025.
What did the court say?
Advocate Harishankar Pandey, who had filed the petition against Rahul Gandhi, said that the plea was rejected by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Neeraj Kumar Tripathi. The court deemed the petition "non-maintainable," thereby dismissing the case.
The court cited that as per the provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023, prior permission from the central or state government, or the district magistrate, is mandatory in such cases, Pandey said.
The lawyer said he would now seek permission from the district magistrate and file the petition again.
What was the case?
The complaint was filed on May 12 by advocate Harishankar Pandey, who alleged that during his speech at Brown University, Rahul Gandhi referred to Lord Ram as a "mythological and fictional figure." Pandey urged the court to direct the registration of an FIR under relevant sections of the law.
He also categorised Gandhi's remarks as a form of 'hate speech' that, in his view, deeply hurt the sentiments of followers of Sanatan Dharma.
"MP Rahul Gandhi and the Indian National Congress have become habitual offenders of such acts. In the matter concerning the great freedom fighter Veer Savarkar, the Hon'ble Supreme Court had strongly reprimanded Shri Rahul Gandhi (Member of Parliament and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha) and his party. However, these people refuse to mend their ways. They continue to make baseless and offensive remarks about the incarnations and great symbols of Sanatan Dharma, thereby insulting Hindus who follow Sanatan Dharma. By delivering hate speech, they have committed a serious criminal offense," the criminal complaint stated.
What did Rahul Gandhi say?
During an interaction at a US university last month, Gandhi rejected the BJP's idea of what constitutes a Hindu and asserted all great Indian social reformers and political thinkers -- Jyotirao Phule, BR Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi and even Guru Nanak, Basava and Budhha -- said the same thing, "Carry everybody with you, satya (truth) and ahimsa (non-violence)."
"This, to me, is the bedrock of Indian tradition and history. I don't know of one person whom we consider great in India who wasn't of this type. I can't think of one. All are mythological figures. Lord Ram was of that time, where he was forgiving, he was compassionate," the Congress leader had said.
(With PTI inputs)
About The Author
Comment List