A Jaipur court has dismissed a complaint filed against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi regarding his statement that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not born into the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. The court ruled that it lacked jurisdiction to determine caste or gotra, leading to the complaint’s dismissal.
Case Background
The complaint was filed by Vijay Kalandar, who alleged that Gandhi’s remarks—made during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Chhattisgarh—were intended to incite unrest and endanger national security. The complainant claimed that Gandhi’s statement suggested that Modi was granted OBC status by Gujarat’s BJP government, implying that he could not fairly represent backward classes.
Court’s Ruling
Presiding officer Diksha Sood stated in her order that the judicial magistrate’s court was not the appropriate forum to determine caste-related matters. The court emphasized that it cannot adjudicate on an individual’s caste or gotra, leading to the dismissal of the complaint.
Political Reactions
The ruling comes amid ongoing political debates surrounding caste identity and representation. The BJP has previously dismissed Gandhi’s claims, calling them factually incorrect and a misrepresentation of Modi’s background.
