Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has been granted bail in a defamation case in which he referred to the home minister as an accused murderer. This is one of the several legal challenges faced by Gandhi ahead of the national elections. Critics allege that India’s government is using the justice system to target political rivals.
The case dates back to 2018 when Gandhi, in his remarks, referred to Home Minister Amit Shah as a “murder accused.” Shah was accused of ordering extrajudicial killings in 2005 but was acquitted in 2014. Gandhi faces at least 10 other defamation cases and has previously been disqualified from parliament.
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He is a key figure in the opposition alliance challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the upcoming general elections. The cases against Gandhi have raised concerns about the use of legal proceedings against political opponents in India.
Last week, authorities froze the bank accounts of Rahul Gandhi’s Congress party amid an investigation into its 2018-19 tax returns. Additionally, a payment demand of 2.1 billion rupees ($25.3 million) was issued in connection to the probe.
This move follows the ongoing investigations by India’s primary financial investigation agency, the Enforcement Directorate, into several other prominent opposition politicians. The financial scrutiny adds to the legal and political challenges faced by opposition figures in the country.
