Prayagraj, Sep 26 : Congress MP from Rae Bareli and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, suffered a setback on Friday as the Allahabad High Court dismissed his petition seeking to quash a Varanasi court’s order related to his controversial Sikh remarks.
The single bench of Justice Samir Jain delivered the verdict, which had been reserved on September 3 after prolonged arguments from both sides. Gandhi had challenged the order of a special MP-MLA court in Varanasi that directed a subordinate court to rehear an application seeking registration of an FIR against him.
The case stems from Gandhi’s remarks made during a September 2024 event in the United States, where he allegedly stated that the atmosphere in India was not conducive for Sikhs to practice their faith freely. His comments sparked protests and were labeled “inflammatory and divisive” by complainant Nageshwar Mishra of Varanasi.
Earlier, the Varanasi Judicial Magistrate had rejected the plea for FIR registration, citing lack of jurisdiction as the speech was delivered abroad. However, in July 2025, the Sessions Court overturned that decision and ordered a rehearing, prompting Gandhi’s appeal to the High Court.
With the High Court’s dismissal, the monitoring petition will now proceed before the Varanasi MP/MLA Court, keeping the case against Rahul Gandhi active.