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Rahul Gandhi defamation case: Congress leader to appeal in Surat court today
The BJP has accused the Congress of creating a mayhem in the name of appealing against the court verdict against Rahul Gandhi
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will arrive in Gujarat’s Surat today to challenge his conviction and two-year sentence in a criminal defamation case in the sessions court here.
People familiar with the matter said that the former Congress chief, who was recently disqualified from the Lok Sabha following his court conviction, will arrive in the city from Delhi and reach the court by afternoon. 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.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, took a swipe at Gandhi and the Congress over the issue. “Rahul Gandhi, his family members, CMs Ashok Gehlot & Bhupesh Baghel are going to Surat & will be creating a mayhem in the name of appealing against the verdict. What’s the need for this ruckus?” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said at a press conference in Delhi.
Sharing a video of Patra’s press conference on Twitter, Union minister Kiren Rijiju said, “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.”
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.
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.
The complainant claimed that Gandhi’s remark, made at a rally at Kolar in Karnataka ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, had defamed the entire Modi community. In his controversial remark, Gandhi had said, “How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?”
Following his conviction, the Lok Sabha secretariat suspended Gandhi’s Parliament membership and served him a notice to vacate his official Delhi bungalow.
Last week, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said that it was in no hurry to hold the by-poll to Kerala’s Wayanad Lok Sabha seat left vacant after Gandhi’s disqualification as he has 30 days to exercise judicial remedies.
If his conviction is not put on hold by the higher court, Gandhi will not be allowed to contest elections for the next eight years and the Election Commission will announce a by-election in Wayanad.
