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Rahul Gandhi refusing to apologise, trying to put pressure on judiciary: BJP
The BJP has accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of refusing an apology and trying to exert undue pressure on the judiciary
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi ahead of his appearance in the Surat district sessions court to appeal against his conviction in a criminal defamation case, accusing him of refusing an apology and trying to exert undue pressure on the judiciary.
“Rahul Gandhi might be going to Surat to file an appeal. It is not required of a convict to go personally to file an Appeal. Generally, no convict goes personally. His going personally with a motley group of leaders and aides accompanying him is only a drama. What Rahul Gandhi is doing is also a childish attempt to bring pressure on the appellate court. All courts in the country are immune from such tactics,” Union law minister Kiren Rijiju said on Twitter.
The minister, speaking to reporters in the Parliament House complex, asked if there has ever been a case in the past where an entire political party tried to “gherao” a court.
Union information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur said, “This is Rahul Gandhi’s ego that he is not ready to seek an apology from the OBC community for insulting them. If he can insult them, he should apologise also.”
Speaking to reporters in the Parliament House complex, he said that as many as 13 ministers in the past were also disqualified on similar grounds as Gandhi in the past, and had lost their membership.
“Frequently intimidating and insulting the backward communities and not apologising once, stalling the parliamentary process, asking foreign powers to intervene in our integral issues- the Congress has been repeatedly doing this,” he added.
People familiar with the matter said that the former Congress chief, who was recently disqualified from the Lok Sabha following his court conviction, will reach the Surat court by afternoon, accompanied by sister and the party’s general secretary, Priyanka Gandhi. Congress workers have gathered outside the court ahead of Gandhi’s arrival and police have amped up security in the premises in view of the developments.
Also Read |Rahul Gandhi held guilty of criminal defamation for remark about Modi surname
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge justified party leaders accompanying Gandhi to the court. “Even in a small case, family members join and go to court. Here, it is about an entire party and he (Gandhi) is fighting for the country,” he told reporters.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh hit back at Rijiju on Twitter saying, “The man who threatens the judiciary, judges and ex-judges daily and also distorts history daily talking. Hypocrisy ki koi seema nahin hai Modi Kaal mein (There is no limit to hypocracy in Modi’s rule).”
On March 23, the Surat court convicted Gandhi over his “Modi surname” remark based on a complaint lodged by BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi. The court, however, granted bail to Gandhi and suspended his sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal against the decision.
Earlier on Sunday, Gandhi’s advocate Kirit Panwala said the Congress leader, in his plea, has asked the sessions court to set aside the magistrate’s order convicting him in the defamation case. He has also asked for an interim stay on the conviction till the matter is disposed of.
