Defamation case: In a major relief for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Jharkhand High Court today (April 25) stayed the ongoing proceedings against him in the MP-MLA court in a defamation case. The MP-MLA court in Chaibasa district had issued a non-bailable warrant against Gandhi on February 27. To stop this, the Congress leader had filed a petition in the high court.
Gandhi has been facing the heat in a criminal prosecution filed by one Pratap Kumar of Chaibasa for having made defamatory comments against Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a poll campaign in 2019.
Kumar in his petition filed before the court of the magistrate in Chaibasa said Gandhi’s remarks were defamatory and made purposely to malign the stature of Shah. The case has been going on in the special MP/MLA court which had issued a bailable warrant against Gandhi in April 2022.
Gandhi, however, did not appear before the Chaibasa court, following which a non-bailable arrest warrant was issued against him by the court on February 27. The Congress leader then moved a petition before the Chaibasa court through his counsel seeking exemption from appearing.
The petition was disallowed by the court after which he moved the Jharkhand High Court. The case will again be heard after a fortnight.
Meanwhile, the Congress party today informed the Election Commission that Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge are among 40 star campaigners who would canvass for the party in Andhra Pradesh for the May 13 polls.Congress General Secretary Mukul Wasnik submitted the 40 names to the poll body on Thursday, which included AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and others.
Besides Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President YS Sharmila, the list also includes Telangana leaders such as Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, K Venkat Reddy, D Anasuya and others, according to a copy of the letter submitted to the Election Commission.
Congress, which has been reduced to a minnow in the state's political landscape after the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated in 2014 by the UPA-II, is struggling to gain a toehold ahead of the elections.
(With agencies inputs)
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