'Maafiveer': BJP Targets Rahul Gandhi With 'I Am Sorry' Posters In Delhi Amid Defamation Row

Last Updated:July 02, 2026, 08:58 IST

The BJP intensified its attack on Rahul Gandhi with "Maafiveer" posters in Delhi, linking them to his "regret" plea in the MP High Court defamation case.

Fresh posters targeting Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi appeared across parts of Central Delhi on Thursday, with BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga launching a political attack over Gandhi’s recent expression of “regret" before the Madhya Pradesh High Court in a defamation case involving Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s son.

The posters label Gandhi as ‘Maafiveer’ (the one who apologises) and prominently feature the slogans “I am Orry" and “I am Sorry."

The campaign refers to Gandhi’s recent legal submission before the High Court, where he expressed “regret" in connection with an allegedly defamatory statement concerning Kartikeya Singh, the son of Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

The posters, installed by BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, portray Rahul Gandhi appearing to apologise and seek to mock him over his legal response in the defamation proceedings.

The campaign comes a day after Gandhi filed an application before the Madhya Pradesh High Court expressing “regret" over the statement that forms the basis of the defamation complaint.

According to the application, filed through his lawyer, Gandhi maintained that the statement was not related to Kartikeya Singh.

The poster campaign coincided with a political attack by the BJP over Gandhi’s application before the High Court.

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that Gandhi has repeatedly made allegations without evidence and later apologised when faced with legal proceedings.

“Rahul Gandhi is a serial liar. He thinks LoP means ‘leader of propaganda’, not ‘leader of opposition’. Making allegations and then fleeing after a hit-and-run is his habit," Poonawalla said in a video statement.

Referring to the defamation case, Poonawalla claimed Gandhi had admitted making a wrong allegation against Kartikeya Singh.

“He levelled allegations against Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s son, Kartikeya Singh. But when the matter reached the high court, he apologised and expressed regret, admitting that he had wrongly made allegations linking him to the Panama Papers," he alleged.

Poonawalla also claimed Gandhi had followed a similar pattern in previous instances.

CASE BEFORE THE MADHYA PRADESH HIGH COURT

According to news agency PTI, the defamation complaint was filed by Kartikeya Singh before a Bhopal court designated for cases involving MPs and MLAs.

Singh alleged that during an election rally in Jhabua in 2018, Rahul Gandhi mentioned his name while referring to the Panama Papers leak, thereby damaging his reputation.

After the trial court summoned Gandhi, the Congress leader approached the Madhya Pradesh High Court seeking the quashing of the summons and the defamation proceedings.

In the application filed through his lawyer on Wednesday, Gandhi stated that the statement was not related to Kartikeya Singh and expressed “regret."

The High Court is scheduled to hear his petition on Thursday.

About the Author

Vani Mehrotra

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has more than 10 years of experience in national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

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