BJP welcomes Gujarat HC’s order on Rahul Gandhi, calls him ‘a habitual offender’

In a setback to the Congress leader, the Gujarat high court on Friday dismissed Rahul Gandhi’s plea seeking a stay on his conviction in the ‘2019 Modi surname case’ under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 and 500 (criminal defamation)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has welcomed the Gujarat high court’s verdict on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s defamation case. Addressing a press conference at party headquarters in New Delhi, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad called Gandhi a “habitual offender of defaming leaders and the country”.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi (File Photo)

In a setback to the Congress leader, the Gujarat high court on Friday dismissed Gandhi’s plea seeking a stay on his conviction in the ‘2019 Modi surname case’ under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 and 500 (criminal defamation).

“Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 elections remarked why all thieves have Modi as a surname. All across the country, the Modi surname is usually of backward and most backward castes. This was a completely objectionable statement… The Gujarat high court’s decision is welcoming. There might come remarks from the Congress party that why this harsh punishment is given by the court. Our answer is why Rahul Gandhi committed this harsh offence,” Prasad told reporters.

Prasad continued that Gandhi always defames eminent leaders and the country. “We would like to ask Congress – why can’t you control Rahul Gandhi? Why can’t you train him to speak properly? He is your leader. Had he apologised in this matter, it would have ended...It has become a chronic habit of Rahul Gandhi to abuse, defame & almost showering the worst kind of abuses against eminent leaders and organisations,” he said.

“When given a chance by the trial court in Surat to apologise, Rahul Gandhi rather chose to remark, ‘I am not Savarkar that I will apologise’. This truly shows the extent of hatred Rahul has against a great patriot of the country,” the BJP leader added.

Reacting to the high court’s verdict, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh in a tweet wrote, “We have noted the verdict of the single-judge bench of the Gujarat High Court on the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi. The reasoning of the Hon’ble judge is being studied, as it should be, and Dr Abhishek Singhvi will be briefing the media in detail at 3pm. The judgement only redoubles our resolve to pursue the matter further.”

Calling the decision, a travesty of justice, Congress leader Randeep Singh Soorjewala also criticised Gujarat high court’s decision. “Instead of punishing ‘Bank Fraudsters’ like Nirav Modi, Ami Modi, Neeshal Modi, Mehul Choksi & ilk, the “messenger” exposing the deceit & swindling of public money is being punished. Sh. Rahul Gandhi has chosen the path of truth, of righteousness, of fearlessness & of seeking accountability from those in citadels of power! WE WILL TREAD UPON THE PATH OF TRUTH & RIGHTEOUSNESS, COME WHAT MAY…… SATYAMEV JAYATE !” he wrote on Twitter.

In an election rally at Kolar in Karnataka on April 13, 2019, Gandhi, former president of the Congress party, allegedly remarked “How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?” On March 23 this year, the session court sentenced the Congress leader to two years in jail after convicting him in this case filed by Gujarat BJP MLA Purnesh Modi.

Following his conviction, Gandhi was disqualified as a member of parliament. If Gandhi’s conviction were stayed, he might have been reinstated in the Lok Sabha.

Meanwhile, the Congress workers staged a protest in support of Gandhi at the All Indian Congress Committee office in Delhi.