New Delhi, August 5: In a sharp response to the Supreme Court’s recent remarks on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said on Tuesday that it is not the judiciary’s role to determine who qualifies as a “true Indian.” Her comments come a day after the apex court pulled up Rahul Gandhi over his statements regarding Chinese incursions into Indian territory and his criticism of the government’s response.
“With all due respect to the judiciary, it is not for them to determine who is a true Indian and who is not. The justice system will not decide that,” Priyanka Gandhi told reporters.
Defending her brother and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, she emphasized that Rahul Gandhi has always shown deep respect for the Indian Armed Forces. “His respect towards the Army is clearly reflected in every statement and speech,” she said.
On Monday, a Supreme Court Bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Joymalya Bagchi questioned senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who was representing Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case. The court challenged Gandhi’s claim that over 2,000 square kilometres of Indian territory had been occupied by China, made during his Bharat Jodo Yatra.
“If you were a true Indian, you would not say all this,” one of the justices remarked, asking whether Gandhi had any credible material to support his claim or if he was physically present in the region.
The court, however, paused ongoing defamation proceedings related to the remarks.
Priyanka Gandhi also criticized the central government for allegedly trying to silence dissent. “The responsibility of the Leader of the Opposition is to question the government, and that is what Rahul Gandhi has always done,” she said. “The government does not want to answer him, and that is why they resort to all these tactics.”
She also addressed the disruptions in Parliament proceedings, defending the opposition’s demand for a debate on the SIR (Security, Integrity, and Response) issue.
“They had discussions on Operation Sindoor, so why not on SIR? Is the government so weak now that it cannot manage Parliament effectively?” she asked.
The remarks have added fuel to the ongoing political row between the ruling BJP and the Congress, with both sides accusing each other of undermining institutions and national security.
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