Actor and politician Kangana Ranaut has strongly criticised Rahul Gandhi following the Supreme Court’s interim stay on defamation proceedings against the Congress leader. The court made sharp observations about Gandhi’s past remarks on the Indian Army, stating that such comments question national integrity.
Referring to Rahul Gandhi’s controversial statements during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in December 2022, Kangana said on Monday, “He always speaks against India, be it on the economy or Defence forces. He speaks in support of enemy nations. He has an anti-India mindset. So, this is a welcome move by the Supreme Court; they pull him up. In the time to come, others should be mindful that they do not hurt the honour, integrity, and morale of India.”
Supreme Court Rebukes Rahul Gandhi, Stays Defamation Case
The remarks in question were made by Rahul Gandhi on 16 December 2022, during his Bharat Jodo Yatra, where he had alleged that the Chinese Army had “captured 2,000 sq km of Indian territory,” “killed 20 Indian soldiers,” and “thrashed jawans in Arunachal Pradesh.”
His statements led to a defamation complaint filed by former BRO director Uday Shankar Srivastava, which was initially allowed to proceed by the Allahabad High Court on 29 May. Rahul Gandhi had contested the complaint, calling it malicious and politically motivated.
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However, on Monday, the Supreme Court stayed the proceedings, but not without issuing a sharp critique. Justice Datta remarked:
“If you were a true Indian, you would not say all this.”
“How do you get to know that 2,000 square kilometres of Indian territory were occupied by the Chinese? Were you there? Do you have any credible material? Why do you make these statements?”
These comments from the apex court have amplified political reactions, with Kangana Ranaut becoming the latest public figure to respond.
