Rahul Gandhi Tells Allahabad High Court: No Call for Rebellion in US Speech About Sikhs

Lucknow: Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, told the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday that his speech made in the United States last year was not meant to incite rebellion among Sikhs in India.

Gandhi made this submission through his senior advocate, Gopal Chaturvedi, while challenging a Varanasi sessions court’s order that directed a magistrate to revisit a plea demanding an FIR against him.

During his US speech in September 2024, Gandhi had remarked that the “fight is about whether Sikhs in India will be allowed to wear turbans or visit gurdwaras.” His comments sparked controversy, leading to legal action by a petitioner who claimed the remarks encouraged rebellion.

However, Gandhi’s legal team argued that the court had taken only a small portion of the speech into account, ignoring the full context. “The court didn’t consider what was said before or after those 25 words. Without reviewing the complete speech, no intent or mens rea (criminal mindset) can be assumed,” Chaturvedi argued.

The advocate further added that the allegation—that Gandhi tried to wage war against the Indian government—was baseless and could not be drawn from a single sentence. He emphasized that Gandhi had not sided with Pakistan or supported any terrorist activities, and therefore, the speech should not be viewed as seditious.

Gandhi’s lawyer also criticized the Varanasi sessions court for focusing only on Section 208 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and not addressing the central question of whether the speech actually constituted a cognizable offence.

Calling the sessions court’s decision “perverse,” Chaturvedi urged the High Court to send the case back for a fresh hearing in its entirety.

The case was originally dismissed by a magistrate’s court in Varanasi. However, in July, Additional District and Sessions Judge Yajuvendra Vikram Singh overturned that decision and asked the magistrate to reconsider the matter based on Supreme Court guidelines.

The revision plea that led to this directive was filed by Nageshwar Mishra, who had sought an FIR against Rahul Gandhi over his remarks.

Source: TOI (Times of India)