RaGa defamation: Surat court to hear plea on May 3
What's the story
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday filed an appeal at the sessions court in Gujarat's Surat against his conviction in a 2019 criminal defamation case.
The court extended his bail until April 13 while the case will be next heard on May 3, said reports.
A lower court in Surat convicted Gandhi last month and granted him 30 days to appeal against the verdict.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Targeting PM Narendra Modi at a rally in Kolar, Karnataka, ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Gandhi remarked, "How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?"
Following this, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Purnesh Modi lodged a complaint against Gandhi for targeting the Modi community.
The Congress alleged that the BJP plotted Gandhi's conviction to remove him from the Parliament.
Hearing
Gandhi reached court with Congress leaders, CMs
Gandhi's sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several other senior Congress leaders, including Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, and Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, accompanied him to Surat.
However, the BJP called the Congress leaders' concerted visit to the court "a childish attempt" to pressurize the judiciary. Baghel hit back, saying the BJP was creating unrest in Bihar and West Bengal.
Workers
Congress workers stage protest against Gandhi's disqualification
Meanwhile, Gujarat Congress workers alleged that the "undemocratic" BJP government in the state illegally detained them while they were headed to Surat to support Gandhi.
Several party workers staged a protest outside the Surat court as well as in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore against Gandhi's Lok Sabha disqualification.
Notably, if Gandhi's conviction isn't stalled, Wayanad's Lok Sabha seat—his constituency before his disqualification—will see a by-election.
Twitter Post
BJP's 'undemocratic' face getting exposed: Congress
गुजरात की भाजपा सरकार द्वारा कांग्रेस नेताओं व कार्यकर्ताओं को सूरत जाने से रोकने के लिए अवैध गिरफ़्तारी करने के समाचार लगातार मिल रहे हैं।
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) April 3, 2023
भाजपा का अलोकतांत्रिक चेहरा बार-बार बेनक़ाब हो रहा है।@INCIndia इन सब हरकतों की निंदा करते हुए उनकी तुरंत रिहाई की माँग करती है। pic.twitter.com/gmJTQvTBHl
Ordinance
Ordinance Gandhi slammed in 2013 could've saved him
Interestingly, Gandhi's disqualification was reportedly based on a Supreme Court judgment that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government tried to overturn in 2013 by passing an ordinance that gave convicted lawmakers a reprieve of three months to retain their seats.
At the time, however, Gandhi slammed the ordinance, saying that it was "complete nonsense" and it should be "torn apart."