New Delhi, Aug 4: The Supreme Court on Monday expressed strong disapproval of Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s alleged remarks about the Indian Army in connection with the 2020 Galwan Valley clash with China.

During a hearing on Gandhi’s plea to quash a criminal defamation case, the bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and A.G. Masih questioned the credibility of the Congress leader’s claim that 2,000 square kilometers of Indian territory had been occupied by China.

Justice Datta remarked, “If you are a true Indian, you wouldn’t say all this,” and asked pointedly, “Were you there? Do you have any credible material?” The bench emphasized that, as Leader of the Opposition, Gandhi should raise such concerns in Parliament rather than on social media.

The defamation case was filed by retired Border Roads Organisation (BRO) Director Udai Shanker Srivastava, who alleged that Gandhi’s statements made during his Bharat Jodo Yatra in December 2022 defamed the Indian Army.

The Allahabad High Court had earlier rejected Gandhi’s plea to quash the case and upheld a February 2025 summoning order issued by a Lucknow MP/MLA court.

Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Gandhi, argued that the remarks were made in the context of transparency and public accountability, not to undermine the armed forces. He also raised procedural concerns under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which the Supreme Court agreed to consider.

Read More National News