Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addresses a public meeting in Kolar, Karnataka, where he had first made the remarks on the 'Modi' surname. (PTI)Rahul Gandhi News, Defamation Case Live Updates: A Surat sessions court dismissed an appeal by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for a stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case. The complaint was filed by BJP’s Purnesh Modi over the Congress leader’s “Modi surname” remark.
Shortly after, party leader Jairam Ramesh stated that they will “continue to avail all options still available to us under the law.” Meanwhile, the BJP demanded that Rahul Gandhi apologise to the OBC community.
Earlier, the sessions court had granted bail to Gandhi and suspended his two-year jail sentence, pronounced by a metropolitan magistrate court on March 23, till the disposal of his appeal seeking a stay on his conviction. The court held Gandhi guilty for his remark “How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname” made during an election rally in 2019. Following the conviction, Gandhi was disqualified as an MP of the Lok Sabha, prompting several Opposition parties to lash out at the government.
Dismissing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s appeal for staying his conviction in the criminal defamation case, the Surat district and sessions court on Thursday said that Gandhi’s counsel failed to prove that “irreversible and irrevocable damage would be caused to the appellant (Gandhi)” if the conviction was not stayed. Disagreeing with the objections raised by Gandhi’s counsel to the maintainability of BJP MLA Purnesh Modi’s complaint, the court felt that the “derogatory” remarks “certainly harmed his (Purnesh Modi’s) reputation” and caused him “pain and agony”. Click Here to read what the Surat court had to say while dismissing Rahul Gandhi’s appeal.
Rahul Gandhi still has time to seek an apology from the nation, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said on Thursday, after a Gujarat court rejected the Congress leader's plea seeking a stay on his conviction in a defamation case.
“Surat court rejecting Rahul Gandhi's plea to stay his conviction in the defamation case has once again proved that the Congress dynast intentionally insulted the OBC community of India in the name of abusing & attacking PM Sri Narendra Modi,” Thakur said. “Rahul Gandhi still has time to seek an apology from the nation,” he added. (PTI)
Addressing a press conference following the Surat court’s decision to dismiss an appeal by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for a stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case, senior leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that the party will continue to avail all options still available under the law.
“A wrong verdict has been affirmed. We will use our alternatives. The whole of India is seeing that the BJP is misusing the OBC community for its narrow and cheap political gains. Rahul Gandhi's voice cannot be silenced the way BJP thinks... He has not spoken anything remotely defamatory in this case and will continue to speak for the people,” he added.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday lashed out at the BJP after a Gujarat court rejected Rahul Gandhi's plea in a defamation case, saying it is a "black day" for Indian democracy.
She also charged that opposition leaders are being hounded, saying they are either in jails or will be sent to jail. “Today is a black day in the democratic history of the country, which takes pride in being mother of democracy. The way Rahul Gandhi is being treated shows that BJP wants to end democracy. They want to establish one party system — The BJP 'Rashtra' — by sidelining the Constitution,” she told reporters here, 55 km from Srinagar. (PTI)
Reacting to the Surat court dismissing Rahul Gandhi’s appeal, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said: “Today’s judgement clarified that the Constitution triumphs in India and not dynastic politics. This is a slap on the face of the Gandhi family. Today, the Surat court proved that the law is the same for everyone and no one is above it. This is a blow to the arrogance of the Gandhi family and a victory for the common people of India.”
"The Surat Court says Rahul Gandhi has not been able to show any exceptional circumstances to grant stay on conviction. Isn’t it exceptional enough to get a two year sentence for criminal defamation? Just long enough to be disqualified from Parliament?" senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor tweeted Thursday.
His remarks came shortly after the sessions court dismissed Rahul Gandhi's appeal seeking a stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case.
A sessions court in Surat has dismissed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s appeal for a stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case last month. This means the MP from Wayanad remains disqualified from Parliament. He can now go to the Gujarat High Court to appeal against the decision of the sessions court.
His disqualification can still be reversed if the High Court grants a stay on the conviction by the magistrate’s court or decides the appeal against the sessions court’s order in his favour. Read our Explained to find out
Shortly after the Surat court dismissed Rahul Gandhi's plea, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla hit out at the Congress party, saying, "Will Congress now call this vendetta too? Will they raise question on courts again? Will they finally junk their arrogance and apologise to the OBC community rather than question the judiciary."
Attacking Rahul, BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya said, "Despite having insulted the OBC community, calling them all ‘chor’, Rahul, shamefully remains defiant… His arrogant attitude reeks of entitlement."
Taking to Twitter soon after the Surat court dismissed Rahul Gandhi's plea, Anil K Antony, who recently switched over to the BJP from Congress, said, "Rather than running post to pillar arrogantly saying that you would not apologise as you are not a Savarkar but a Gandhi, @RahulGandhi it would be more appropriate if you apologise for your mistake of abusing the whole OBC ‘Modi’ community because of your hatred for India’s H’ble PM."
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Shortly after the Surat court dismissed Rahul Gandhi's plea seeking a stay on his conviction in the criminal defamation case, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said they will "continue to avail all options still available to us under the law".
A Surat sessions court dismissed an appeal by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for a stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case. The complaint was filed by BJP’s Purnes Modi over the Congress leader’s “Modi surname” remark.
March 23 - Metropolitan magistrate court holds Rahul Gandhi guilty in a criminal defamation case filed by BJP's Purnesh Modi for his remarks on the 'Modi' surname in 2019.
March 24 - Rahul Gandhi is disqualifed as an MP from the Lok Sabha.
April 3 - Surat District and Sessions Court grants bail to Gandhi against a surety of Rs 15,000 till the disposal of his appeal seeking a stay on his conviction.
April 13 - Additional sessions judge R P Mogera says he will pronounce the order on his appeal for stay on April 20.
A Surat sessions court is likely to pronounce today its order on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s plea for a stay to his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his “Modi surname” remark. The additional sessions judge R P Mogera last week had said he will pronounce the order on April 20.
Stay tuned as we bring you the latest updates!