Rahul Gandhi Faces Lucknow Court Over Indian Army Controversy

Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, attended the MP-MLA court in Lucknow as part of a defamation case involving his comments on the Indian Army. According to UP Congress President Ajay Rai, Gandhi was present in Lucknow specifically for the court appearance and was scheduled to return to Delhi afterward. Earlier, Gandhi commented on the death of a 20-year-old student in Balasore, who died after setting herself on fire. He labelled the death as an “organised murder by the BJP’s system” and criticized the BJP for failing to protect the victim, who had reported sexual harassment and was subjected to threats and humiliation. Gandhi’s X post alleged that the BJP government shielded the accused and appealed to Prime Minister Modi to speak out on the matter to ensure safety and justice for Indian women. Congress workers subsequently protested outside AIIMS Bhubaneswar, which was followed by police action. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhubaneswar confirmed the death of the 20-year-old student.