Rahul Gandhi gets bail from J'khand court over 'defamatory remarks' against Amit Shah in 2018
Chaibasa (Jharkhand) (PTI): Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was granted bail by an MP-MLA court in Jharkhand's Chaibasa on Wednesday in connection with a case related to alleged defamatory remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah at a rally in 2018.
Gandhi appeared before the court around 10.55 am.
"Rahul Gandhi ji appeared before the court as per the direction of the Jharkhand High Court. He had sought bail. Conditional bail has been granted. We will now take the process ahead," Gandhi's counsel Pranav Daripa said.
The lawyer said the case pertained to defamation and was registered in 2018.
"The case was initially registered in Ranchi and was transferred to Chaibasa in 2021. We had filed a petition for exemption from personal appearance before the high court, and we are here as per the high court's direction," he added.
Another high court lawyer, Dheeraj Kumar, said, "Conditional bail was granted to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Chaibasa MP-MLA special court of Supriya Rani Tigga asked Gandhi to cooperate in the trial."
The lawyers said that the court has asked Gandhi to cooperate in the proceedings.
Gandhi had, on June 2, moved the Jharkhand High Court, challenging the order of the special court here, which had directed him to appear before it on June 26.
The Congress MP's counsel had informed the high court on June 10 that his client would not be able to appear on the specified day, and instead requested it to grant August 6 for the appearance.
The high court had accepted his request.
A case of defamation was filed against Gandhi by a person named Pratap Kumar for allegedly making defamatory statements against Shah at a rally in Chaibasa in 2018.
Kumar, in his petition filed before the court of the magistrate in Chaibasa, had alleged that Gandhi's statements were defamatory and made purposely to malign the stature of Shah.
Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, arrived in Jharkhand on Tuesday to attend the funeral of veteran tribal leader and former chief minister Shibu Soren at his ancestral village Nemra in adjoining Ramgarh district.
According to officials, Gandhi took a helicopter from Ranchi to reach Chaibasa.
A helipad was set up at Tata College Ground for the purpose, they added.
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Right to vote under threat, must be made fundamental right: Cong's Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged on Thursday that the right to vote is under threat and the time has come when it should be made a fundamental right for citizens.
Speaking with reporters, Ramesh lashed out at Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, saying the Election Commission (EC) has never been as compromised as it has been under him.
"The rot started under his predecessor. This man is a player and not a neutral observer," the Congress leader said, slamming Kumar.
Kumar is completely compromised and has become a player in elections, he alleged.
"Home Minister Amit Shah had talked about three Ds -- detect, delete and deport. So we want to know how many non-Indian citizens have been detected, how many have been deleted and how many have been deported," Ramesh said, adding that the right to vote is now under threat.
On opposition parties submitting a fresh notice in the Rajya Sabha, seeking to move a motion for the CEC's removal, the Congress leader said they will continue to make efforts for Kumar's removal as he is "compromised".
Ramesh also batted for the right to vote to be recognised as a fundamental right.
"I believe that the time has come that the right to vote should be made a fundamental right. It is a statutory right, it is not a fundamental right. Fundamental rights are justiciable," he said.
The former Union minister said this was discussed in the Constituent Assembly, but it was eventually decided that it should be made part of the Constitution.
B R Ambedkar and Jagjivan Ram had warned that in the future, governments might try to disenfranchise voters, he added.
"Once and for all, include the right to vote as a fundamental right for Indian citizens," Ramesh asserted.
