A court in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, granted bail to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday in a 2018 defamation case related to alleged derogatory remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Judge Yogesh Yadav granted bail after Gandhi filed bail bonds, as confirmed by his counsel Kashi Prasad Shukla.

The case was initially filed by BJP leader Vijay Mishra in 2018, with the civil court summoning Rahul Gandhi to appear in connection with the allegations. Speaking to news agency ANI, Mishra expressed his anguish over Gandhi’s remarks, citing his longstanding dedication to the BJP over 33 years.

Mishra, who was the vice president of the BJP at the time of the alleged incident, highlighted Gandhi’s accusation against Amit Shah during a conference in Bengaluru, calling it unjustifiable. He emphasized the significance of the BJP as the country’s largest party and condemned the labeling of its then-president as a murderer.

The complaint, filed on August 4, 2018, referenced Rahul Gandhi’s statement accusing the BJP of espousing honest and clean politics while having a party president allegedly involved in a murder case. At the time of the incident, Amit Shah served as the BJP president. Notably, Shah had been discharged by a special CBI court in Mumbai approximately four years prior to Gandhi’s remarks in connection with a 2005 fake encounter case when he held the position of minister of state for home affairs in Gujarat.

Mishra also highlighted Gandhi’s repeated failure to appear in response to summonses related to the case. The legal proceedings have continued for nearly five years.