Congress' Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra halted Tuesday morning, as party leader Rahul Gandhi was summoned by an Uttar Pradesh court in a 2018 defamation case.
“Rahul Gandhi has been issued a summons to appear in the District Civil Court in Sultanpur tomorrow, February 20th, morning in connection with a defamation case filed by a BJP leader on August 4th, 2018. The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will, therefore, pause tomorrow morning and will resume the February 20th program at 2 pm from Fursatganj in Amethi,” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posted on X on Monday.
The case was filed after Gandhi allegedly called Union Home Minister Amit Shah a murderer in a public speech in Bengaluru during the 2018 election campaign.
After he appears before court, Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Malikarjun Kharge are scheduled to address a public meeting in Babuganj, Amethi.
The Yatra on Monday entered Rahul Gandhi's erstwhile constituency, where the Congress hopes to win back voters it lost in the 2019 general elections. The 3-time MP from Amethi was defeated by Union Minister Smriti Irani, who is also in her constituency for a four-day tour.