Congress leaders and members of the INDIA bloc have strongly objected to remarks made by the Supreme Court during a defamation hearing against Rahul Gandhi. The controversy began when Justice Dipankar Datta questioned Gandhi’s claim that 2,000 sq km of Indian land had been occupied by China, saying, "If you are a true Indian, you would not say this."

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said parties in the INDIA alliance believed the judge’s comment was “extraordinary and unwarranted,” and a threat to the democratic rights of political parties.

Priyanka Gandhi responded, saying judges cannot decide who a "true Indian" is. The court had stayed trial court proceedings and agreed to hear arguments from Gandhi’s legal team, but the remarks by Justices Datta and Masih angered the opposition.

Jairam Ramesh said every patriotic Indian has asked questions about Chinese incursions since the 2020 Galwan clash. He accused the Modi government of following a “DDLJ” approach — deny, distract, lie, and justify. He also cited news reports and official statements pointing to Chinese control over Indian territory, calling it the biggest territorial setback since 1962.

Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said the Chinese occupation is a “reality,” and added, "If this is contempt, I, an Indian citizen, must commit it, My Lord."

Rahul’s lawyer, Abhishek Singhvi, noted that the court’s overall stance was in Gandhi’s favour and had stayed the trial. He dismissed BJP reactions as distortion of oral remarks, saying the court often uses such comments to draw out arguments.

BJP’s Amit Malviya had called Rahul Gandhi "a certified anti-national" citing the court’s words. Singhvi responded by accusing BJP leaders of misrepresenting the proceedings.

Ashok Gehlot said Rahul’s remarks were based on facts already in the public domain and pointed to the sacrifices of Indira and Rajiv Gandhi as proof of the family’s patriotism. He said Rahul’s Bharat Jodo Yatra was further evidence of his commitment to the nation.

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said such court observations have no binding authority and questioned whether they limit the right to raise national concerns.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury urged BJP leaders to introspect before criticising Rahul Gandhi. Odisha Congress president Bhakta Charan Das said the judge had no right to question Gandhi’s patriotism for criticising the government’s failure to counter Chinese aggression.