‘Will not bow down to suppression’: Congress on Rahul Gandhi defamation case verdict

डरी हुई सत्ता की पूरी मशीनरी साम, दाम, दंड, भेद लगाकर @RahulGandhi जी की आवाज को दबाने की कोशिश कर रही है।

मेरे भाई न कभी डरे हैं, न कभी डरेंगे। सच बोलते हुए जिये हैं, सच बोलते रहेंगे। देश के लोगों की आवाज उठाते रहेंगे।

सच्चाई की ताकत व करोड़ों देशवासियों का प्यार उनके साथ है।

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) March 23, 2023

Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi said, “My religion is based on truth and non-violence”. “Truth is my god, non-violence the means to get it,” he wrote.

मेरा धर्म सत्य और अहिंसा पर आधारित है। सत्य मेरा भगवान है, अहिंसा उसे पाने का साधन।

– महात्मा गांधी

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 23, 2023

Moments after the verdict, the court granted bail to Gandhi and stayed its order for a period of 30 days so the Congress leader can appeal in a higher court.

Several Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge and MP Jairam Ramesh and other Opposition party leaders, reacted strongly against the verdict.

Saying that an appeal will be filed in the matter, Kharge slammed the BJP. “If they point one finger at others there are four fingers pointed at them also,” he said on Twitter.

कायर, तानाशाह भाजपा सरकार श्री @RahulGandhi और विपक्ष से तिलमिलाई हुई है क्योंकि हम उनके काले कारनामों को उजागर कर रहे हैं। JPC की माँग कर रहे हैं।

राजनैतिक दिवालियेपन की शिकार मोदी सरकार,

ED, पुलिस भेजती है
राजनैतिक भाषणों पर केस थोपती है।

हम Higher Court में अपील करेंगे।

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) March 23, 2023

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गांधी डरते नहीं

— Congress (@INCIndia) March 23, 2023

Backing Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged a “conspiracy” to finish the Opposition. In a tweet, Kejriwal said,  “We have differences with the Congress, but it is not right to implicate Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case like this… jJob of the public and the opposition to ask questions. We respect the court but disagree with the decision.”

ग़ैर बीजेपी नेताओं और पार्टियों पर मुक़दमे करके उन्हें ख़त्म करने की साज़िश हो रही है

हमारे कांग्रेस से मतभेद हैं मगर राहुल गांधी जी को इस तरह मानहानि मुक़दमे में फ़साना ठीक नहीं। जनता और विपक्ष का काम है सवाल पूछना। हम अदालत का सम्मान करते हैं पर इस निर्णय से असहमत हैं

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) March 23, 2023

Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi termed Gandhi’s conviction “excessive and will have far reaching consequences. “This non-stop targeting of opposition leaders is condemnable&it won’t silence the voices who speak for the people& refuse to be ji huzoor of the government,” she said. 

With all due respect to judiciary, Sh. Rahul Gandhi’s conviction is excessive and will have far reaching consequences. This non-stop targeting of opposition leaders is condemnable&it won’t silence the voices who speak for the people& refuse to be ji huzoor of the government.

— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) March 23, 2023

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said that Gandhi was being punished for speaking the truth and raising his voice against the “dictator”. “If you raise your voice against injustice, then ED-CBI, Police, FIR will be imposed on everyone,” he added.

ये न्यू इंडिया है

अन्याय के खिलाफ आवाज उठाओगे तो ED-CBI, पुलिस, FIR सबसे लाद दिए जाओगे।

राहुल गांधी जी को भी सच बोलने की, तानाशाह के खिलाफ आवाज़ बुलंद करने की सजा मिल रही है।

देश का कानून राहुल गांधी जी को अपील का अवसर देता है, वह इस अधिकार का प्रयोग करेंगे।

हम डरने वाले नहीं

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) March 23, 2023

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AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha said opposition forms the core of democracy and dissent should not be stifled. “Respectfully disagree with court verdict against Rahul Gandhi. Opposition forms the core of democracy. Dissent should not be stifled. India has a strong tradition of critique. Attempt to reduce this to the viewpoint of one ideology, one party, one leader is unconstitutional and undemocratic,” he tweeted.

Meanwhile, attacking the Congress, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said that Rahul Gandhi’s remarks have caused harm to the Congress whose leaders were worried that the party’s fortunes were sinking. “Whatever Rahul Gandhi says causes harm. It causes harm not only to the party but also to others. It is not good for the nation,” Rijiju told reporters, news agency PTI reported.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, “Congress MP Rahul Gandhi should take a lesson from this,” news agency ANI reported.

The case filed by former Gujarat minister and BJP MLA from Surat West Purnesh Modi pertains to the alleged remarks Gandhi made on April 13, 2019, at a Lok Sabha election rally in Karnataka’s Kolar where he said, “Why all the thieves have Modi in their names whether be it Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, and Narendra Modi?”

The order was pronounced by Chief Judicial Magistrate H H Verma. Gandhi was present inside the courtroom on Thursday afternoon along with several national and state Congress leaders. The Surat police had increased security arrangements in the court campus to prevent untoward incidents.