Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, may face renewed legal scrutiny after a Special MP-MLA court in Uttar Pradesh set aside a lower court’s earlier decision and ordered fresh consideration of a complaint against him over alleged remarks made about Lord Ram during a 2025 event in the United States.
The case relates to an interaction at Brown University, where Gandhi reportedly spoke at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs.
Court Orders Fresh Hearing in Complaint Case
According to advocate Harishankar Pandey, who filed the petition, the Additional Sessions Judge/Special Judge (MP-MLA Court) Yajuvendra Vikram Singh on Wednesday overturned the magistrate court’s earlier dismissal of the complaint.
The court directed the Chief Judicial Magistrate (MP-MLA) court to reconsider the matter and pass a fresh order in line with legal precedents.
“The lower court’s order has been set aside. The matter will now be heard again,” Pandey said, adding that the next hearing date is expected soon.
Allegation: Remarks on Lord Ram Spark Legal Complaint
The complaint alleges that during his address at Brown University in 2025, Rahul Gandhi referred to Lord Ram as a “mythological and fictional character,” which the petitioner claims hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus.
The advocate argued that the remarks were offensive to followers of Sanatan Dharma and demanded legal action under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including provisions related to promoting enmity, defamation, and public mischief.
He had initially sought registration of an FIR and summons against Gandhi.
Magistrate Court Earlier Rejected Plea
The Chief Judicial Magistrate had earlier dismissed the complaint in May 2025, stating that it was not maintainable as required government sanction had not been obtained for initiating proceedings.
Following this, the complainant challenged the decision through a revision petition before the District Judge’s court, which later transferred the matter to the MP-MLA court.
Case Sent Back for Reconsideration
With the latest order, the case will now return to the lower court for fresh examination. The court has instructed that relevant Supreme Court and High Court rulings be taken into account while deciding the matter again.
According to the petitioner, the process may also include issuance of notice to Rahul Gandhi as part of legal procedure, depending on the outcome of the reconsideration.
What Was Said at Brown University
The complaint is based on remarks allegedly made by Rahul Gandhi during a 2025 interaction in the United States, where he was discussing politics and religion.
He reportedly said that Lord Ram is often understood in different ways across traditions, describing him as a “mythological figure” known for compassion and forgiveness.
“I don’t know of one person we consider great in India who wasn’t of this type… all our mythological figures, Lord Ram was of that type where he was forgiving, he was compassionate,” Gandhi had said, according to the transcript cited in the complaint.
He also added that he does not agree with the BJP’s interpretation of Hinduism.
