The Supreme Court on Friday extended the stay on the hearing of the criminal case registered in Uttar Pradesh against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. This case is related to the year 2022 when Rahul Gandhi made a controversial remark about Vinayak Damodar Savarkar during a speech.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has given major relief to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The Supreme Court has upheld the stay on the criminal case registered against him in Uttar Pradesh regarding his remarks on Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in 2022. No proceedings will be taken in this matter for the next four weeks. A two-judge bench of Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Augustine George Masih delivered this verdict while hearing the petition filed by Rahul Gandhi.
This case began when Rahul Gandhi made a remark on Savarkar during a public meeting in 2022, following which a lawyer from Uttar Pradesh, Nripendra Pandey, filed a complaint against him. The complaint stated that Rahul Gandhi's comment tarnished the reputation of freedom fighter and Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and could spread animosity in the society.
What did the UP government say?
Senior Advocate Garima Prasad, appearing for the Uttar Pradesh government, told the Supreme Court that the state government has filed its affidavit in response to Rahul Gandhi's petition. The government said that the complaint filed by advocate Nripendra Pandey is correct and Rahul Gandhi's statement was made with the intention of spreading hatred and animosity in the society.
What happened in the previous hearing?
Earlier, on April 25, 2025, the Supreme Court, while commenting on the matter, had said that Rahul Gandhi's language was "irresponsible". The court had said that freedom fighters cannot be ridiculed on public platforms and such language sends a wrong message to the society. However, the court had also acknowledged that the criminal proceedings currently underway against Rahul Gandhi should be stayed, and therefore, while granting interim relief, a stay was imposed on the case.
Four weeks of relief
Now, the Supreme Court has continued the same interim order and adjourned the next hearing for four weeks. This means that no action can be taken against Rahul Gandhi in the courts of UP in this matter for these four weeks. The court has said that all parties should present their case bly during this period and a final decision will be taken thereafter.
This case is not just a legal proceeding registered against a particular individual, but it also involves several major questions related to Indian politics, freedom of speech, and respect for historical figures. Rahul Gandhi, who is a senior leader of India's main opposition party, the Congress, has been in controversies before due to his speeches and comments.
