Congress MP from Rae Bareli and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, received a major setback on Friday when a single bench of the Allahabad High Court dismissed his petition to quash a Varanasi court judgement.
A single bench of Justice Samir Jain delivered the verdict. The High Court had reserved its decision on September 3 after all parties concluded their arguments.
Gandhi has approached the Allahabad High Court against an order of a special MP-MLA court of Varanasi that had directed a subordinate court to hear afresh an application seeking registration of an FIR against him for his statement on Sikhs made during a 2024 US visit.
Following the dismissal of Rahul Gandhi’s petition, the hearing on the monitoring petition will now continue in the Varanasi MP/MLA Court.
This case relates to a statement made by Rahul Gandhi in the United States, to which Nageshwar Mishra of Varanasi had objected, and demanded the registration of an FIR.
On November 28, 2024, the Varanasi Judicial Magistrate Court rejected the application seeking the registration of an FIR, stating that the speech was delivered in the United States and therefore the matter was outside its jurisdiction.
However, on July 21, 2025, the Sessions/Revision Court reversed this order and directed the Magistrate Court to rehear the case. Rahul Gandhi challenged this order in the High Court. On September 3, a heated debate ensued between both sides for nearly three hours.
Gandhi’s lawyers argued that the Varanasi court’s order was not only erroneous but also beyond its jurisdiction. Meanwhile, the complainant, Nageshwar Mishra, stated that Gandhi’s statement was inflammatory and divisive.
Rahul Gandhi, during an event in the United States in September 2024, allegedly said that the atmosphere in India is not good for Sikhs, and whether Sikhs can wear turbans, wear kada, and visit gurdwaras.
Speaking at an event in Herndon, Virginia, he has said, “The fight (in India) is about whether a Sikh is going to be allowed to wear a turban…whether a Sikh will be allowed to wear a kada or go to the Gurudwara. That’s what the fight is about, and it’s not just for Sikhs, but for all religions”.
His statement sparked protests and was termed “inflammatory and divisive”.