Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is appearing before a Special MP-MLA Court in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on October 26, 2026. The court is scheduled to deliver its verdict in a criminal defamation case linked to remarks he allegedly made about Amit Shah during the 2018 Karnataka Assembly election campaign. Shah was the BJP’s national president at the time and is now India’s Union Home Minister.
The case began after Rahul Gandhi allegedly made objectionable remarks about Shah during the election campaign in Bengaluru in May 2018. Vijay Mishra, who was then a BJP district vice-president and chairman of the Sultanpur District Cooperative Bank, filed a complaint against Gandhi on August 4, 2018. Mishra said he was hurt by the remarks and approached the court over the issue. The complaint led to a criminal defamation case against the Congress leader.
In November 2023, the court summoned Gandhi in connection with the case. He appeared before the court on February 20, 2024, and secured bail. His statement was later recorded in July 2024. The case continued through court proceedings, with witnesses giving statements. A request to compare Gandhi’s voice sample with a recording of the speech was rejected by the trial court. The sessions court and the Allahabad High Court also rejected challenges linked to that decision.
The court had earlier scheduled the verdict for October 13, 2026, but the judgment is now expected on October 26. Gandhi’s defence lawyer, Kashi Prasad Shukla, confirmed that he would be present for the proceedings. Security arrangements have also been made around the court premises, according to Sultanpur police officials.
Under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code, criminal defamation can carry a prison sentence of up to two years, a fine, or both. However, any punishment would depend on the court’s findings and the applicable law. The verdict will determine the next stage of the case. The court’s decision was still awaited in reports published on the morning of October 26, 2026.
