The complaint, filed by advocate Harishankar Pandey on 12 May, was rejected by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Neeraj Kumar Tripathi, who deemed it "non-maintainable" due to procedural lapses.
Pandey alleged that Gandhi's remarks constituted hate speech, hurting the religious sentiments of followers of Sanatan Dharma. He sought action under sections 196 , 351 , 353 , and 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita .
The court cited the absence of prior permission from the district magistrate and the state government as grounds for dismissal. Additionally, as Gandhi is a sitting Member of Parliament, the court noted that sanction from the Lok Sabha Speaker is required to proceed with such cases.
Pandey expressed his intention to seek the necessary permissions and file the petition again.
Gandhi's remarks at Brown University, where he described Lord Ram as a "mythological and fictional figure," have sparked controversy. The Bharatiya Janata Party criticized the comments, with spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla calling Gandhi "Ram Drohi" and accusing him of questioning Lord Ram's existence.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad also condemned Gandhi's statement, demanding an apology and urging the Hindu community to reject what it termed "anti-Hindu sentiments."
During the event at Brown University, Gandhi discussed the inclusive nature of Indian political thinkers and social reformers, distinguishing them from the political ideology espoused by the BJP. He emphasized that figures like Buddha, Guru Nanak, Basava, Narayana Guru, Phule, Gandhi, and Ambedkar were not bigots and represented a pluralistic and tolerant tradition.