New Delhi: In big relief to Rahul Gandhi, the Supreme Court on Thursday quashed a criminal defamation complaint and the summoning order of a magistrate
court against the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha. A complaint was filed against Gandhi over his comments on VD Savarkar. The complainant had claimed that the Congress leader intentionally insulted Savarkar during the rally. Notably, the Uttar Pradesh government had not given sanction for Gandhi's prosecution. During the hearing a petition filed by the Congress MP Justice Deepankar Datta said, “When the sanction is required and it is not there, it’s the end of the matter.” Gandhi filed the petition challenging the order of Allahabad High Court declining to quash the summons against him in the Savarkar defamation case. "Sanction is required. But there is no sanction. If there is no sanction, there is no case,. You have to follow the law" Justice Datta addressed the State government and the complainant. A magistrate court in Lucknow had summoned him. In its order, the magistrate court, acting on a complaint by an advocate, Nripendra Pandey, had observed that Rahul Gandhi had said that Savarkar was a British servant who received a pension from the British. These remarks had spread hatred and ill-will in society against Savarkar, the trial court had observed. The top court quashed both the complaint filed by Pandey against Gandhi, and the summons issued by a Lucknow Magistrate. Last year in July, the Uttar Pradesh government has urged the SC to dismiss the petition filed by Gandhi challenging the order of the Allahabad HC. UP govt’s affidavit was accessed exclusively by Times Now in 2025. The affidavit had stated, "Allegations supported by investigation indicate deliberate spreading of hatred through pre-planned actions, falling in the category of offences of promoting enmity between various groups, public mischief." “The UP government agreed with the contention of complainant advocate Nripendra Pandey that Rahul Gandhi’s actions were done with intention of spreading hate and enmity within the society”, the affidavit had added.
