Varanasi court dismisses plea against Rahul over UK remarks

A court in Varanasi has dismissed an application filed by a BJP leader alleging that the statements made by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in the United Kingdom in February were “detrimental” to the unity of India. The application also sought filing of an FIR against Rahul for his alleged hate speech.

The petition was filed by BJP’s Kashu unit legal cell convener Shashank Shekhar Tripathi on March 15. “I had sought legal action against Rahul Gandhi-ji for his anti-India speeches in Cambridge. During his speeches, he said minorities like Muslims and Sikhs in India are treated like second-class citizens. He said that democracy in India is finished… In my plea, I had said he should be booked under IPC sections for the speeches,” Tripathi said.

His application was dismissed by the special MP/MLA court on Wednesday, which said the said statements made by Rahul did not exceed the prescribed limits of freedom of expression.