The Supreme Court on Tuesday pauseed the trial in a criminal defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his alleged “Commander-in-Thief” and “Choro Ke Sardar” remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in connection with the Rafale fighter jet deal.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Aparesh Kumar Singh issued notice on Gandhi's plea, seeking a response within four weeks. The order temporarily halts the proceedings in the lower court.
Gandhi has challenged a September 8 order of the Bombay High Court, which refused to quash the criminal defamation case. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appeared for the Congress leader before the Supreme Court.
The case stems from remarks Gandhi allegedly made at a rally in Rajasthan in September 2018, during the political controversy over the Rafale deal. According to the complainant, BJP worker Mahesh Shrishrimal, the remarks were defamatory and lowered Modi's reputation. He also contended that the Prime Minister was trolled by news channels and on social media following the statements.
Shrishrimal argued that Gandhi's remarks against Modi, including calling him “Choro Ke Sardar”, effectively portrayed BJP members as thieves and damaged the reputation of the party and its workers.
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