Rahul Gandhi conviction: Cong says no design in delay, appeal likely within days

Addressing a press conference with Congress communication head Jairam Ramesh Tuesday, party general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal said: “Filing an appeal can’t be done hastily… Our legal team is looking at all the aspects. We will do it as early as possible.”

“We will do (it). Don’t worry,” Venugopal added.

Asked about the BJP raising questions on why the party had not filed an appeal in a Surat Sessions Court even five days after the verdict, Venugopal said: “That is their issue. Why are you asking us? Rahul Gandhi has given a clear statement. Whether he is put in jail or disqualified as an MP… he is not worried about anything. He will continue to ask questions.”

Venugopal also said the party has complete faith in its legal team, quashing suggestions that the latter were to blame for the delay. “Saying that this is the fault of the legal team… is to indirectly justify the BJP government,” he said.

Sources in Rahul’s legal team said there was “no sinister design” behind the delay in filing the appeal, and added that the translation of the verdict from Gujarati and collection of evidence were taking time.

On the Surat magistrate court’s order convicting Rahul, Venugopal asked why the defamation case against Rahul had been filed in Gujarat when the speech in question was made in Kolar in Karnataka. “What is the jurisdiction of Gujarat?… This is a clearly designed project to disqualify Rahul Gandhi,” he said.

Ramesh also called questions over the delay in filing an appeal part of the BJP’s smear campaign. “These repeated questions about inadequacies of Rahul Gandhi’s legal team… this is the BJP’s pretence. The entire disqualification was match-fixing… All this talk about shortcomings of the legal team is to divert attention from this match-fixing… Big leaders (of the BJP) are spreading this word in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha… that there will be a delay, that there are some shortcomings, that it is being done deliberately. It is all nonsense,” Ramesh said.

The Congress leader said one needs to understand the “chronology”. “Rahul Gandhi makes the speech (about the allegations against Gautam Adani, in the Lok Sabha) on February 7. On February 16, the Brahmin Modi (Purnesh Modi, the petitioner in the defamation case) gets the stay he had got in the High Court withdrawn. On February 27, the arguments begin, the judgment gets reserved on March 17 and Rahul is disqualified on March 23… It is very clear match-fixing to divert attention from the match-fixing,” Ramesh said.

The Congress leader’s reference to Purnesh Modi as “Brahmin Modi” seemed directed to counter the charge that Rahul had insulted OBCs with his comments.

Venugopal also unveiled a protest programme to be held by the SC, ST, OBC and minority wings of the party in front of Babasaheb Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi statues at all district headquarters on Wednesday, and in state capitals on April 1.

Besides, the party will hold Jai Bharat satyagrahas at block and mandal levels from March 29 to April 8, district level from April 15 to 20, and state level from April 20 to 30. “Friendly parties” and “civil society” organisations will be asked to join the state-level satyagrahas. Finally, there will be a satyagraha at the national level.

The satyagraha, Venugopal said, is “in protest against the erroneous conviction and disqualification of Rahul Gandhi, and to express the Congress party’s resolve to keep raising the voice of the people against the blatant looting of the people’s money and nation’s wealth by Modani”.

He said the Youth Congress, NSUI, other frontal departments and cells of the party will send postcards to Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the first week of April, “questioning him on relevant issues”.

Venugopal said the party will also open war rooms in Delhi and in states to monitor the campaign on a day-to-day basis.