Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is supposed to appear in the MP-MLA Special Magistrate Court on Tuesday in the case of making defamatory statements against Indian soldiers during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, according to his advocate Pranshu Agarwal.

The special court summoned Gandhi as an accused, taking cognisance of the complaint filed in this defamation case.

The Congress leader had filed a petition in the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court against the summons but he did not get any relief from there.

Gandhi's advocate Agarwal told PTI that they will seek his bail after the Congress leader appears in the court.

This complaint has been filed by Uday Shankar Srivastava, retired director of the Border Roads Organisation (equivalent to the rank of Colonel in the Indian Army).

The complaint states that on December 16, 2022, Gandhi, while addressing various media personnel and the public during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, mentioned the clash between the Indian Army and the Chinese Army on the border of Arunachal Pradesh on December 9 (2022) and said that "people will ask what all about Bharat Jodo Yatra, but will not ask even once about the beating of our soldiers by Chinese soldiers".

It (complaint) alleges that the complainant has been hurt by Gandhi's statement about the alleged beating of Indian soldiers by the Chinese soldiers.

On February 11, the special court, after hearing the complaint, had ordered Gandhi to be summoned on charges of defamation.

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