Karnataka HC rejects PIL seeking apology from Rahul Gandhi over alleged remarks on women

21 Oct 2024 Evaluate

The Karnataka High Court (HC) rejected a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the All India Dalit Action Committee, which sought an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for allegedly insulting the modesty of women.

The PIL arose from Gandhi’s claim that Janata Dal (Secular) leader Prajwal Revanna had ‘raped 400 women and filmed such act,’ and that the incident was a case of ‘mass rape.’ Counsel for the All India Dalit Action Committee argued that Rahul Gandhi has hurt the dignity of Indian women, particularly the women of Hassan, by his irresponsible statements. The PIL highlighted that Gandhi made his allegations in a public speech without any proof.

The petition said that by doing so, Gandhi has misled the public, spread misinformation and also insulted the dignity of women as defined under the new Indian Civil Defence Code. The petition said Gandhi's statement amounted to hate speech as he made allegations against Revanna with the aim of spreading ‘gender-based hatred’. The petitioner had called for Gandhi to issue a public apology and requested that the National Commission for Women take action against him.

A bench comprising Chief Justice NV Anjaria and Justice K Aravind dismissed the petition, stating that the PIL was a waste of judicial time and also imposed a cost on the petitioner. The bench said, ‘We have not said anything on merits, we are not saying on the merits of the speech. We have only said this cannot be subject matter under public interest litigation’.