'Speech Was in Good Faith': Rahul Gandhi Submits Final Arguments in Amit Shah Defamation Case

• by Akanksha Mishra
• 2026-10-10 08:02:00

In a significant legal development with wide political ramifications, the defense team of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has submitted its conclusive written arguments before the Special MP-MLA Court in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, in connection with the criminal defamation case filed over remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah. With both the prosecution and defense officially concluding their arguments on Friday, the court is set to determine the date of its final judgment on October 12.

Defense Cites Good Faith and Dismisses Criminal Malice

Presenting the final written submission before the bench, Rahul Gandhi's defense counsel laid out the constitutional protections governing political speech:

Nine-Page Legal Reply: Defense counsel Kashi Prasad Shukla filed a comprehensive nine-page written argument, contending that the remarks made during a public political address were delivered in good faith and lacked any criminal intent or malicious design to defame.

No Ground for Criminal Defamation: Shukla argued that democratic political discourse and criticism do not fulfill the legal threshold required to constitute an offense under criminal defamation statutes.

Counter by Complainant: Opposing the plea, advocate Santosh Pandey, appearing for complainant and local BJP leader Vijay Mishra, cited precedent judgments from higher courts to argue that calling a political rival a suspect crossed the boundaries of fair critique and caused reputational injury.

Roots of the 2018 Dispute: The Bengaluru Rally Controversy

The legal confrontation stems from a contentious public speech delivered eight years ago during a high-stakes state election campaign:

Controversial Address in Karnataka: During an election rally in Bengaluru on May 8, 2018, Rahul Gandhi referred to Amit Shah—who was serving as the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party at the time—in relation to past allegations, describing him as a murder suspect despite prior judicial discharges.

Filing of the Defamation Complaint: Aggrieved by the public statements, BJP functionary Vijay Mishra moved the Sultanpur district court on August 4, 2018, seeking criminal prosecution against the Congress leader for sullying the leader's public standing.

Plea of Innocence: Throughout the trial proceedings, Gandhi maintained his complete innocence before the judicial magistrate, asserting that the defamation complaint was politically motivated to target opposition leadership.

Sultanpur MP-MLA Court to Decide the Next Course on October 12

With oral hearings and written counter-arguments now officially on record, the matter stands at a crucial juncture:

Verdict Timeline: The presiding magistrate of the Sultanpur special court is scheduled to pronounce the next procedural order or fix the formal date for the final verdict on Monday, October 12.

Political Focus: The upcoming judicial order remains closely watched across political corridors in Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi, as it addresses key legal interpretations surrounding fair comment, free speech thresholds, and criminal defamation in electoral campaigns.

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