Congress leader Rahul Gandhi appeared before an MP-MLA court here on Friday in a defamation case and said it was filed to gain "cheap publicity".

Gandhi, who appeared before Special Judge Shubham Verma, said he never gave a statement against anyone which could lead to a case of defamation, his lawyer Kashi Prasad Shukla told reporters.

Local BJP leader Vijay Mishra filed the case on August 4, 2018, against Gandhi for making alleged objectionable remarks against the then BJP president and current Home Minister Amit Shah.

The court fixed August 12 as the next date of hearing in the matter when the statement of the petitioner will be recorded. Sources said Gandhi need not appear in the court on that date.

Advocate Santosh Kumar Pandey, representing Mishra, said Gandhi recorded his statement before the judge and the evidence will be presented on August 12.

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

On Friday morning, a large number of Congress workers gathered at the civil court as Gandhi arrived there at exactly 11 am. He appeared before the special judge in court number 15. He returned after recording his statement.

The court premises resembled a fortress with a heavy presence of security personnel.

Gandhi, the Lok Sabha member from Rae Bareli, arrived in Lucknow by air and travelled to Sultanpur by road.

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