An MP-MLA court in Sultanpur on Wednesday asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to appear before it on July 2 in a defamation case filed against him for alleged objectionable remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Complaint lawyer Santosh Kumar Pandey said that one Ram Pratap had demanded that he be made a party in the case.

Opposing the plea, Pandey said Pratap is neither a victim nor has anything to do with the matter.

Gandhi's lawyer Kashi Prasad Shukla, who was present in the court, also opposed the petitioner's plea.

However, the court dismissed the prayer and called for personal appearance of Gandhi on the next date of hearing.

A defamation case was filed against Gandhi in 2018 over his alleged objectionable remarks against Shah. The defamation complaint against Gandhi was filed by BJP leader Vijay Mishra.

Gandhi had halted his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' in Amethi on February 20 this year and appeared in court, which had granted him bail.