Allahabad High Court Reserves Judgment on Rahul Gandhi’s Plea Against Varanasi Court Order
By Rajesh Pandey
The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday reserved its judgment on a petition filed by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who challenged the decision of the Varanasi MP/MLA court directing the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) to reconsider an application seeking registration of an FIR against him.
The controversy arises from a statement Rahul allegedly made about Sikhs during his visit to the United States in 2024.
High Court’s Interim Order
While hearing the matter, Justice Sameer Jain ordered that until the final judgment is delivered, the lower court shall not proceed further in the case. The judge specifically stated: Till the delivery of judgment, the magistrate shall not proceed further with the matter pursuant to the impugned order dated July 21, 2025.”
This interim protection means that, for now, the proceedings in Varanasi will remain on hold.
Origin of the Dispute
The matter was initiated by Nageshwar Mishra, a resident of Varanasi, whoappliede the ACJM, Varanasi, seeking registration of an FIR against Rahul Gandhi. He alleged that Rahul’s remarks in the US — where he reportedly stated that “the environment in India was not good for Sikhs” — were provocative, divisive, and damaging to social harmony.
On November 28, 2024, the ACJM rejected Mishra’s plea, observing that since the remarks had been made outside India, the matter did not fall within the court’s jurisdiction.
Unhappy with this decision, Mishra filed a revision before the Varanasi MP/MLA court, which, on July 21, 2025, overturned the ACJM’s order and directed the magistrate to hear the case afresh.
Rahul Gandhi’s Petition
Challenging this development, Rahul Gandhi approached the Allahabad High Court. His petition argued that the order of the Varanasi MP/MLA court was “illegal, without jurisdiction, and unsustainable in law.”
It was further prayed that, as an interim measure, the High Court should stay the operation of the Varanasi court’s order while the matter was being heard.
The High Court, after hearing both sides, reserved its judgment. Until then, proceedings before the magistrate have been restrained.
The case has drawn political attention, as it touches upon the issue of freedom of speech, the jurisdiction of Indian courts over remarks made abroad, and the sensitivities surrounding community-related statements by political leaders.
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