The Delhi High Court on Wednesday rejected a plea against Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, which alleged that he had travelled without his Special Protection Group security and put himself in danger, PTI reported. Mumbai Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Tuhin Sinha had filed the petition.

The plea sought the court’s direction to Gandhi and the Centre to ensure that the he does not violate the SPG Act. The act was amended in 1991 – after Rahul Gandhi’s father Rajiv’s assassination – to extend security cover to family members of former prime ministers. Sinha’s plea also asked that Gandhi submit an affidavit in court that he would not travel without SPG security.

However, the Delhi High Court bench said on Wednesday that it was “not the appropriate forum” to decide the matter, and the petition was therefore not maintainable. “We are not going to decide on security,” Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal said. “For security also, we depend on the government. We rely on their assessment.”

Anil Soni, the Centre’s counsel, claimed that Gandhi travelling without his security cover was “irresponsible behaviour”. He said that if an any untoward incident were to occur, the government would be held responsible.

The court said that government authorities were free to take any action they deemed fit on the issue.

Ignoring security protocol?

Gandhi’s car was attacked in Gujarat’s Dhanera town on August 5, when he was on a visit to the state. The state police arrested a BJP youth wing worker, Jayesh Darji, in connection with the attack. Three others were also named in the First Information Report filed with the police.

On August 8, Home Minister Rajnath Singh criticised Gandhi for not following security protocol, while responding to allegations in the Lok Sabha that the Congress leader could have been killed in the attack in Gujarat. Singh also said that Gandhi did not use SPG cover even when he went abroad.

On November 1, a woman had climbed on Gandhi’s vehicle during his roadshow in Gujarat’s Bharuch district to take a selfie with him. He has also been known to slip out of campaign rallies and meetings to meet people without his bodyguards.