Rahul Gandhi to challenge defamation conviction in Surat court today
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will reportedly appear before Surat's sessions court on Monday to challenge his conviction in a 2019 defamation case. He will also likely seek an interim stay on the magistrate's order sentencing him to two-year imprisonment to restore his Lok Sabha membership. Senior party leaders, including his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and chief ministers of three Congress-ruled states will accompany him.
Why does this story matter?
This comes after Gandhi's conviction and two-year jail sentence in a 2019 defamation case, which involved remarks over PM Narendra Modi's surname, by Surat's Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate HH Varma on March 23. Following the order, he was dismissed from the Lok Sabha on March 24. His disqualification ignited a political row and prompted strong responses from the Congress and other opposition parties.
Gandhi would appeal for suspension of sentence: Report
Gandhi's lawyers stated that the Congress leader would request the Surat sessions court to suspend his sentence, per Hindustan Times. In his appeal, Gandhi reportedly asked the court to overturn Magistrate Varma's ruling in the "Modi surname" remarks case. The 52-year-old will also seek an interim stay on conviction until the issue is settled so that his Lok Sabha membership can be reinstated.
Top Congress leaders to accompany Gandhi to show solidarity
According to reports, Gandhi will arrive in Surat at around 2:00 pm on Monday. He will be accompanied by Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, Congress Rajya Sabha member KC Venugopal, and other senior party leaders. Besides Gandhi Vadra, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu are also likely to be in Surat in a show of solidarity and strength.
Confident of getting justice: Congress's Abhishek Singhvi
Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who is in charge of the legal team on Gandhi's appeal, said, "We are confident that the appeals court will appreciate blatant errors of trial court and do justice expeditiously."
Gandhi loses Lok Sabha membership after conviction order
On March 23, Magistrate Varma convicted Gandhi and awarded him a two-year jail term in the 2019 defamation case against him over his "Modi surname" remarks. The former Congress chief was suspended from the Lok Sabha the next day. Notably, Gandhi will also be unable to contest the elections for the next eight years unless a higher court overturns his conviction and sentence.
What led to defamation case against Gandhi?
In 2019, Gandhi verbally attacked PM Modi in Karnataka's Kolar region, saying, "Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi... How come all the thieves have Modi as a common surname?" Soon after his remarks, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker from Surat (West), Purnesh Modi, took offense and filed a complaint, claiming that the Congress leader had defamed the entire Modi community.
