Opposition Hits Back at Supreme Court For Comment On Rahul Gandhi, Says Top Court Had No Right
Opposition leaders condemned the Supreme Court's remark questioning Rahul Gandhi’s "Indianness," calling it unjustified and asserting the right to critique the government on national issues;
A day after the Supreme Court questioned Rahul Gandhi while hearing a criminal contempt plea against him for remarks he made about the Indian Army, sharp political reactions have emerged from the Congress party and other INDIA bloc constituents, denouncing the judicial comments as misplaced and inappropriate.
During the hearing on August 4, Justice Dipankar Datta, sitting on the bench along with Justice AG Masih, took exception to Gandhi’s statements made during a political rally, observing, “If you were a true Indian, you would not have said all this.”
The Court was hearing a contempt petition over Gandhi's reference to alleged Chinese intrusions in Indian territory and his comments on the Indian Army’s preparedness, which the petitioner argued undermined national morale and institution integrity.
The Supreme Court has issued notice and granted an interim stay in the matter, but the oral observation has sparked strong criticism from opposition leaders.
In a joint statement, members of the INDIA alliance, including the Congress party, said they “respectfully disagreed” with the Court’s observation, describing it as “extraordinary and unwarranted” and an “attack on the democratic right of political leaders to question the government on matters of national interest.”
They emphasized that “questioning government failures on border security does not equate to disrespecting the armed forces,” and noted that it is the “constitutional role and moral responsibility of the opposition, especially the Leader of the Opposition, to seek accountability.”
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra issued a pointed response: “With all due respect, no judge of the Supreme Court has the authority to decide who is a true Indian.” She defended her brother, stating that he has “always shown utmost respect for the armed forces and never spoken against them. This is a misrepresentation.”
“Raising questions is the duty of the opposition. That is how democracy functions,” she added.
Congress MP K.C. Venugopal said Gandhi’s remarks “reflected the voice of every nationalist Indian who is concerned about national security,” and slammed the government for “failing to respond in Parliament and branding critics outside it as anti-national.”
Odisha Congress President Bhakta Charan Das said the Court’s comment was “deeply disappointing.” “Justice Datta should not have questioned Rahul Gandhi’s patriotism just because he criticised the Modi government’s handling of the Chinese threat,” Das said.
Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot pointed out that Gandhi had “not disclosed any classified information,” and was only referring to “well-documented incidents already in the public domain.”
Background
The controversy arises from Gandhi’s repeated public statements alleging Chinese transgressions into Indian territory and the Modi government's silence on it. The contempt plea, which is still pending adjudication, alleges that Gandhi's remarks demoralised the armed forces and amounted to undermining judicial authority.
While the Court has not made any final determination, the sharp exchange during the hearing and the subsequent political backlash have reignited the debate over judicial restraint, free speech, and the boundaries of political accountability.
Next Hearing
The matter is expected to be taken up again after three weeks, as per the directions of the Bench.