Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday appeared before a special MP-MLA court in Sultanpur and recorded his statement in a 2018 defamation case linked to his alleged remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah.The proceedings were conducted before Special Judge Shubham Verma, where Rahul denied all allegations and maintained that the complaint was driven by political motives.Rahul, through his counsel Kashi Prasad Shukla, informed the court that the case had been filed with the intention of damaging his personal and political image. He submitted that the allegations were baseless and founded on a distorted interpretation of his remarks. He said he had not used derogatory language against any individual, nor had he made any statement with the intent to defame. The complaint, he argued, was false and motivated by malice.The court has now fixed March 9 as the next date of hearing, directing the Raebareli MP to present evidence in his defence.The case traces back to 2018, when a defamation complaint was filed by Vijay Mishra, a local BJP leader and former chairman of the district cooperative bank. The complaint alleges that during the Karnataka Assembly elections that year, Rahul made objectionable remarks targeting Shah, who was then serving as the BJP president.Counsel appearing for the complainant, Santosh Kumar Pandey, informed the court that the cross-examination of the plaintiff and two witnesses has already been completed.Rahul reached the court premises at around 10:40 am and remained inside for approximately half an hour to record his statement. As he exited, party workers gathered outside raised slogans in his support. He briefly acknowledged them before leaving the premises.