HC dismisses Rahul Gandhi’s plea challenging Varanasi court order allowing petition on his controversial US statement.
Prayagraj
The Allahabad High Court on Friday dismissed a revision plea filed by Congress leader and Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi, paving the way for a criminal case to proceed in Varanasi over his controversial remarks on Sikh religious freedom.
The case stems from a statement Gandhi made during a 2024 visit to the United States, where he questioned whether Sikhs in India were truly free to practice their faith. “The fight is about whether he, as a Sikh, will be allowed to wear a turban, a kada, or visit a Gurudwara,” Gandhi had said, triggering widespread political outrage at home.
Varanasi resident Nageshwar Mishra initially sought an FIR against Gandhi. Though an Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate rejected the plea in November 2024 citing lack of jurisdiction, the MP/MLA Special Court later allowed Mishra’s revision petition in July 2025, directing the ACJM to hear the matter afresh. Gandhi then moved the Allahabad High Court, arguing that the special court’s decision was “illegal and without jurisdiction.”
With the high court dismissing his challenge, the matter will now return to the MP/MLA Court in Varanasi for further proceedings. The ruling represents a legal setback for the Congress leader as the politically sensitive case continues to draw nationwide attention.
