NEW DELHI: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has been summoned by the district judge court of Sambhal in connection with a complaint filed over his controversial remarks stating that the Congress party’s fight was not only against the BJP and RSS but also against the Indian State itself.
Issuing the notice on Thursday, the court has directed him to either appear or submit a response on April 4.
According to the news agency ANI, Advocate Sachin Goyal confirmed that the court accepted the complaint and issued the notice to Gandhi.
“Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had made a statement on 15 January 2025 that ‘We are now fighting the BJP, the RSS and the Indian State itself’. Simran Gupta had filed a case in the special MP/MLA court to register an FIR against Rahul Gandhi. The CJM had quashed it on the grounds of jurisdiction,” Advocate Goyal said.
The complaint was initially dismissed by the CJM court on jurisdictional grounds, but a revision petition led the district judge court to intervene and summon the Congress leader.
The controversy was triggered by a speech Gandhi delivered on January 15, 2025, during the inauguration of the Congress’s new headquarters, Indira Bhawan, in Delhi.
In his speech, he alleged that the BJP and RSS had “captured every single institution” of the country and that opposition parties were now fighting the Indian State itself.
“Our ideology, like the RSS ideology, is thousands of years old, and it has been fighting the RSS ideology for thousands of years. Do not think that we are fighting a fair fight. There is no fairness in this. If you believe that we are fighting a political organisation called the BJP or RSS, you have not understood what is going on. The BJP and the RSS have captured every single institution of our country. We are now fighting the BJP, the RSS and the Indian State itself,” he said
Apart from the Sambhal court case, Gandhi is also facing legal trouble in Guwahati, where an FIR was filed under Sections 152 and 197(1)d of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The charges include acts endangering the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India, which are considered cognizable and non-bailable offences.
The FIR also accused him of inciting unrest and separatist sentiments.
“Unable to gain public trust through democratic means, the accused now seeks to foster discontent against the government and the Indian State,” the complaint stated. It also accused Gandhi of trying to exploit his political platform to spread falsehoods and instigate rebellion.
BJP linked Gandhi’s remarks to ‘George Soros playbook’
Rahul’s remarks also ignited a sharp political backlash from the BJP, with senior leaders accusing him of acting against India’s interests.
BJP National President JP Nadda claimed that Rahul’s statements aligned with the agenda of US-based billionaire George Soros, who has been accused by Indian politicians of funding anti-government narratives.
BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya also accused the Congress leader of declaring an “open war against the Indian State itself”, while finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman questioned how Gandhi could make such remarks while holding the Constitution in his hands during public events.
During the same speech at Indira Bhawan, Rahul also raised concerns over alleged irregularities in Maharashtra elections, particularly regarding a sudden rise of one crore voters between the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls.
“We are uncomfortable with the way the Election Commission operates. Why would the Election Commission refuse to make the voters’ list transparent?” Gandhi questioned. He accused the poll body of withholding critical electoral data, which, he argued, was necessary for transparency.
Additionally, Gandhi attacked RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, who had recently stated that India attained “true independence” only after the construction of the Ram Temple. Rahul labelled Bhagwat’s comments as “treason” and an insult to India’s independence movement.
