The Supreme Court of India strongly criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his comments on the Indian Army in relation to the India-China border conflict. The top court’s remarks came after Gandhi had claimed that China had taken over Indian territory.

The court questioned Gandhi's statement and asked for evidence. It said, “How do you get to know that 2000 sq km was occupied by China? What is the credible material? If you were a true Indian, you would not say this. When there is a conflict across the border… can you say all this? Why can't you ask the question in parliament?”

The court gave Gandhi relief by putting a stay on the criminal defamation case filed against him. The case is related to his comments about the Indian Army during the 2020 India-China clash in the Galwan Valley.

Case filed by former BRO Director

The defamation case was filed by Uday Shankar Srivastava, a former director of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). The case is being heard in a court in Lucknow.

The complaint says that Gandhi made offensive comments during his Bharat Jodo Yatra on December 16, 2022. These comments were linked to the military clash between India and China in Arunachal Pradesh on December 9, 2022.

Srivastava said that Rahul Gandhi had repeatedly claimed that Chinese soldiers were “thrashing” Indian troops in Arunachal Pradesh and also said that the Indian media was not raising questions about the incident.

The Lucknow court earlier observed that Gandhi's remarks appeared to demoralise the armed forces and their families. Gandhi challenged this in the High Court.

Background: Galwan clash in 2020

In 2020, Indian and Chinese troops were involved in violent clashes in the Galwan Valley, along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The conflict started after China objected to India’s road construction activities in the region. The clashes also spread to other parts along the border, including Pangong Lake and eastern Ladakh.

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