The Supreme Court (SC) has rebuked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his remarks concerning China's alleged annexation of Indian territory. The court stated that a "true Indian" would not make such a statement. This reprimand has ignited a political firestorm, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launching a scathing attack on Gandhi.
The controversy stems from a statement Rahul Gandhi made during his 2022 Bharat Jodo Yatra. He claimed that China had occupied 2,000 square kilometers of Indian territory and that Chinese troops were "thrashing Indian soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh".
During the hearing, a Supreme Court bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih questioned the basis of Gandhi's claim. "How did you get to know that 2,000 sq km of Indian land has been taken over by the Chinese?" the court asked. Justice Datta said about Mr Gandhi's remarks. "If you are a true Indian... you won't say all of this". "Were you there? Do you have any credible material?" the court asked Mr. Gandhi. The court further questioned why Gandhi raised the issue in the media instead of Parliament. "Say things in Parliament, why do you have say it on social media?" the bench observed.
While the Supreme Court rebuked Rahul Gandhi for his remarks, it did grant him interim relief by staying proceedings in a criminal defamation case filed against him. The case was filed by Uday Shankar Srivastava, a former Director of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), who alleged that Gandhi's remarks during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in December 2022 defamed the Indian Army. Gandhi had challenged a Lucknow court's observation that his comments were intended to demoralize the armed forces, appealing to the High Court for relief.
The BJP has seized upon the Supreme Court's rebuke to intensify its attack on Rahul Gandhi. Amit Malviya, head of the BJP's IT department, called Gandhi a "certified anti-national". Malviya asserted that Gandhi's actions and statements have consistently undermined India's sovereignty, national security, and the Indian Army. He accused the Congress leader of seeking foreign powers' support to undermine a democratically elected Indian government and alleged that Gandhi had signed a secret memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Communist Party of China, details of which, according to Malviya, remain hidden from the public.
Other BJP leaders have also criticized Gandhi, with some calling him a "China guru" and accusing him of being "remote controlled by foreign forces". The BJP also criticized him for reiterating claims that the Indian economy is "dead".
The Congress party has responded to the BJP's attacks by defending Rahul Gandhi's right to raise concerns about national security. The party has also accused the BJP of distracting from the real issues, such as the ongoing border dispute with China and the state of the Indian economy. Jairam Ramesh, a Congress leader, listed pointed questions about the Galwan clash, Chinese trade, and alleged territorial setbacks under PM Modi's leadership.
The political battle over Rahul Gandhi's remarks on China is likely to continue in the lead-up to the next general election. The BJP is hoping to use the issue to paint Gandhi as unpatriotic and out of touch with the concerns of ordinary Indians, while the Congress is trying to portray the BJP as being weak on national security and অথ authority.
