Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court on Thursday dismissed a petition asking for an FIR to be registered against Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his alleged remarks about the Sikh community. The order leaves in place a Varanasi court’s decision not to direct the police to register a case.

A single-judge bench of Justice Vikram D Chauhan delivered the verdict. It had earlier reserved its decision after hearing the matter.

Key takeaways

1. The plea has been dismissed. The High Court rejected the petition seeking registration of an FIR against Gandhi.
2. The petitioners had challenged a Varanasi court order. That court had refused to direct the police to register a case.
3. The remarks date to September 2024. They were made during Gandhi’s visit to the United States.
4. The petition was filed under Section 528 of the BNSS by Nageshwar Mishra and another person.
5. Gandhi has called the case politically motivated. In a written reply, he said there were no legal grounds for criminal proceedings.
6. The legal route is not necessarily over. Further options may be open to the petitioners, though none has been announced.

What the petitioners alleged

According to the petitioners, Gandhi questioned during his US visit in September 2024 whether Sikhs in India felt safe wearing turbans or visiting gurdwaras. They argued that the statement amounted to an offence and sought an FIR against him.

Gandhi’s side has rejected that reading. In his written reply, he said the revision petition was politically motivated and that his remarks were meant to highlight the interests and contributions of Sikhs. At the time of the original remarks, BJP leaders criticised them sharply, while Congress said they had been misrepresented.

How the case reached the High Court

The matter has been through several rounds, which is why the outcome matters beyond a single order.

What the ruling does and doesn’t mean

This was a decision about whether the police should be directed to register a case. It was not a trial, and it did not decide whether the remarks were right or wrong. The detailed reasoning behind Thursday’s order was not available at the time of writing, so the grounds on which the court dismissed the plea remain to be examined once the full order is read.

It also fits a wider pattern in recent months. In May, the same judge dismissed another plea seeking an FIR against Gandhi, over a different remark made in January 2025 at the Congress headquarters. Courts in these cases have generally been cautious about treating political speech as criminal conduct. Whether that caution applies equally to every case depends on the facts and the words used, which is why each order has to be read on its own terms.

The reactions

Political reaction had not been published at the time of writing, though cases involving the Leader of the Opposition tend to draw quick responses from both the Congress and the BJP. Supporters of the petitioners may point to the sensitivity of remarks about a religious community. Supporters of Gandhi may argue that political speech should not be pushed into criminal proceedings. Both positions are likely to be repeated as the case is discussed.

What happens next

Lawyers and observers will study the reasoning once the written judgment is available, and the petitioners could consider approaching a higher court, though no decision has been announced. Gandhi faces several other cases and complaints in different courts, each proceeding separately, and the ruling may be cited in the wider debate over how far criminal law should reach political speech.

What to watch next

Look first for the written judgment and the reasons it gives, along with any announcement from the petitioners about an appeal. Reactions from the Congress, the BJP and Sikh organisations are also worth watching, as are further hearings in other cases involving Gandhi.

 

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