A special MP/MLA court in Varanasi has permitted a new complaint seeking legal action against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for allegedly calling Lord Ram a “fictional” character during an event in the US. The court overturned a previous decision that had dismissed the complaint without a proper hearing, stating that the issue required judicial review under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
The court noted that Rahul Gandhi’s purported statement was made at Brown University in the US, not in a parliamentary setting, emphasizing the need for a thorough legal assessment by the Magistrate. The complaint, challenging the requirement of sanction from Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla before proceeding against Gandhi, accused him of violating certain sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and causing offense to religious sentiments.
Advocate Harishankar Pandey, who filed the revision petition, alleged that Gandhi’s comments at Brown University in 2025 labeled Lord Ram as a “mythological and fictional character.” The Special Judge, in allowing the revision plea, overturned the earlier decision and instructed a fresh review of the complaint in accordance with the law.
The initial complaint, which also named the All India Congress Committee (AICC) as a respondent, contended that the party could not evade accountability for the statements attributed to its senior leader. Following the court’s ruling, the complainant expressed intent to challenge the previous decision and secure the necessary sanction to proceed against Rahul Gandhi.
