Hearing in defamation case against Rahul Gandhi adjourned as witness fails to appear
Sultanpur (PTI) The hearing in the defamation case against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi was adjourned on Monday after a witness failed to appear in the MP/MLA court here.
The next hearing has been fixed for October 17, case lawyers said.
Rahul Gandhi's counsel, Kashi Prasad Shukla, said the testimony of a witness, Ram Chandra Dubey, was scheduled for Monday. However, the court postponed the proceedings to October 17 as he did not appear.
Advocate Santosh Kumar Pandey, representing the complainant, also confirmed that the court has fixed October 17 as the next date of hearing. The previous hearing in the case took place on September 23.
The case was filed in 2018 by a local BJP politician Vijay Mishra, a resident of Hanumanganj in the Kotwali Dehat area, who alleged that Rahul Gandhi made objectionable remarks during the Karnataka assembly election campaign that year, causing him distress.
After Gandhi failed to appear in the court for several years, a warrant was issued in December 2023. He later surrendered before the court in February 2024, following which the special magistrate granted him bail on two sureties of Rs 25,000 each.
Gandhi, the Rae Bareli MP, recorded his statement before the court on July 26 this year, asserting his innocence and terming the case a "political conspiracy". Subsequently, the court directed the complainant to produce witnesses.
On April 28, the complainant's counsel presented Anil Mishra, a resident of Pitambarpur Kala, as a witness, who was later cross-examined by Gandhi's lawyer, Shukla.
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Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
