The Supreme Court has stayed defamation proceedings against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a case filed in Jharkhand over alleged derogatory remarks made against Amit Shah in 2018, during his tenure as BJP president. A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta has sought responses from the Jharkhand government and complainant BJP leader Navin Jha within four weeks. The case is scheduled for further hearing in six weeks.

Rahul Gandhi’s counsel, Senior Advocate Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, argued that a criminal defamation case can only be initiated by the person directly affected, not by third-party proxies. He cited prior judgments to support the claim that the complainant lacks the legal standing to file the case. The court, after hearing the arguments, decided to put the proceedings on hold temporarily.

This development adds to the legal battles faced by the Congress leader, who has often been at the center of controversies over his remarks. As the case progresses, it will test the application of defamation laws and their intersection with freedom of speech, especially in political discourse.