THE SUPREME COURT, TODAY, pulled up Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his controversial remarks suggesting that China had occupied 2,000 square kilometres of Indian territory following a 2022 border clash in the Yangtse region of Arunachal Pradesh, with the bench questioning the credibility of such claims. The Court’s remarks appeared to reflect concern that such statements, made without substantiation, could erode public confidence in the armed forces’ role in safeguarding the country’s borders.
A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih stayed the proceedings before a Lucknow trial court in the defamation case filed against Gandhi and issued notice to the complainant, former Border Roads Organisation (‘BRO’) Director Uday Shankar Srivastava.
“How do you get to know that 2,000 square kilometres of Indian territory was occupied by China? What is the credible material?” Justice Datta asked, disapproving of the remarks made by Gandhi during the 2022 Bharat Jodo Yatra, “If you are a true Indian, you would not say this. When there is a conflict across the border, can you say all this?”.
The bench also questioned the medium used by the Congress MP to make the statement. “Whatever you have to say, why don’t you say it in Parliament? Why do you have to say this on social media posts?” Justice Datta asked senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who appeared for Gandhi.
