The Delhi Police has cleared Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a case over his remark about the condition of Sikhs in India, made during a visit to the United States in September, The Tribune reported on Wednesday.

The police said that comments by Gandhi did not specifically target any religion or community to amount to a cognisable offence.

On September 9, speaking at an event organised by the Indian diaspora in Washington, the Congress leader criticised the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for treating some religions, languages and communities as inferior to others.

The RSS is the parent organisation of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha had also expressed concerns about the treatment of religious and linguistic minorities in India.

“First of all, you have to understand what the fight is about,” Gandhi had said. “The fight is not about politics. That is superficial.”

Gandhi addressed a Sikh member of the audience, saying: “The fight is about whether he as a Sikh is going to be allowed to wear his turban in India or a kada in India. Or he, as a Sikh, is going to be able to go to gurdwara. That’s what the fight is about. And not just for him, for all religions.”

The comments were described by several BJP leaders and Union ministers as “anti-national”.

Following this, a Delhi-based lawyer had filed a complaint with the Ministry of Home Affairs, demanding legal action against Gandhi, The Tribune reported. The complaint was forwarded to the Delhi Police for examination.

The police reviewed the video of Gandhi’s speech and confirmed that the Congress leader had made the remark as described in the complaint.

However, the police said, “no specific community, individual or group was targeted in a manner that would constitute a cognisable offence under the relevant provisions of the Indian law”, according to The Tribune.

It added that the speech was made outside India. “The matter does not fall within the territorial jurisdiction of New Delhi district,” the police said.