The BJP sharpened its attack on Rahul Gandhi on Thursday, saying the Congress MP should make “Sorry” his middle name after he expressed regret before the Madhya Pradesh High Court over remarks linked to Kartikeya Singh Chouhan, son of Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
The political exchange followed developments in a criminal defamation case arising from Gandhi’s speech during the 2018 Madhya Pradesh Assembly election campaign. The remarks, made at Jhabua on October 29, 2018, had referred to the Panama Papers controversy and allegedly named Kartikeya Singh Chouhan. Gandhi later maintained that the reference was erroneous and that he had intended to speak about the son of the then Chhattisgarh chief minister.
BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya led the party’s criticism, saying Gandhi had repeatedly made allegations and then retreated when challenged. The BJP framed the matter as part of a wider pattern of what it called irresponsible political rhetoric by the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. Congress did not treat the episode as an admission of malice, with Gandhi’s legal position resting on his earlier clarification and expression of regret over the mistaken reference.
The Jabalpur Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court closed the criminal defamation proceedings after Gandhi expressed regret and the complainant accepted it. Kartikeya Singh Chouhan had filed the complaint before a special court for MPs and MLAs in Bhopal, alleging that Gandhi’s comments had damaged his reputation. Gandhi had approached the High Court seeking to quash the summons and end the proceedings.
Gandhi’s counsel told the court that the Congress leader stood by a public clarification issued on October 30, 2018, the day after the rally. The submission said the comment was not intended to refer to Kartikeya Singh Chouhan and that Gandhi regretted the mistaken reference. The legal resolution brought to an end a case that had remained in the courts for more than seven years.
The dispute dates back to an election campaign marked by sharp attacks between the Congress and the BJP in Madhya Pradesh. Shivraj Singh Chouhan was then chief minister and one of the BJP’s most prominent state leaders. Gandhi, then Congress president, was campaigning aggressively against the BJP government, focusing on corruption allegations, agrarian distress and unemployment.
The Panama Papers leak, which surfaced in 2016, had become a common reference point in political speeches across several countries. It contained details from the files of a Panama-based law firm relating to offshore entities. In the Madhya Pradesh campaign, Gandhi’s remarks were challenged by Kartikeya Singh Chouhan, who denied any wrongdoing and moved the court.
The BJP’s reaction on Thursday sought to turn the legal closure into a political point against Gandhi. Party leaders argued that an opposition leader holding a constitutional role should exercise greater caution while making public allegations. The party also linked the episode to earlier defamation matters involving Gandhi, including the case over his “Modi surname” remark, which led to his conviction by a Surat court in 2023 before the Supreme Court stayed the conviction and restored his membership of Parliament.
Congress leaders have generally argued that legal cases against Gandhi form part of an aggressive political campaign by the BJP to restrain opposition criticism. The party has maintained that Gandhi’s comments in public life are directed at holding those in power accountable and that corrections or clarifications should not be presented as evidence of dishonesty.
