New Delhi : Congress MP and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has filed an application in the Madhya Pradesh High Court expressing regret over a statement that led to a defamation case filed by Kartikeya Singh, the son of Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The case is related to remarks Gandhi allegedly made during an election rally in Jhabua in 2018.
During his speech, he mentioned the Panama Papers leak and referred to Kartikeya Singh. Kartikeya later claimed that the remarks harmed his reputation. Kartikeya Singh filed a complaint in a special MP-MLA court in Bhopal, alleging that Gandhi’s comments were defamatory. The court then issued a summons asking Rahul Gandhi to appear in person.
After receiving the summons, Gandhi approached the Madhya Pradesh High Court seeking to cancel both the summons and the defamation case. In an application submitted through his lawyer on Wednesday, Gandhi said that his remarks were not intended to refer to Kartikeya Singh. He also expressed regret over the statement.
The matter came up before Justice Pramod Kumar Agarwal, who is expected to hear the case on Thursday. Gandhi’s legal team also submitted records from the lower court as directed by the High Court. Advocate Sankalp Kochhar represented the complainant during the hearing. The development sparked a political reaction from BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya, who criticised Rahul Gandhi in a post on X.
Malviya wrote that Rahul Gandhi has apologised, expressed regret, or withdrawn his statements many times in the past. Referring to the current case, he said Gandhi has now told the High Court that the remarks were not even about Kartikeya Singh. Malviya questioned why the statement was made in the first place if it was not related to Kartikeya Singh.
According to Malviya, Rahul Gandhi often makes strong allegations that attract headlines, but later backs down when challenged in court or confronted with facts. He said a Leader of Opposition should act responsibly and avoid making accusations without evidence.
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