A Surat court on Thursday sentenced former Congress president Rahul Gandhi to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his ‘Modi surname’ remarks.
Two years in jail
The Surat District Court convicted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him for his alleged “Modi surname” remarks.
The court of chief Judicial Magistrate HH Varma, which held Gandhi guilty under Indian Penal Code sections 499 and 500, also granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court, the Congress leader’s lawyer Babu Mangukiya said.
Gujarat | Surat District Court holds Congress MP Rahul Gandhi guilty in the criminal defamation case filed against him over his alleged 'Modi surname' remark. pic.twitter.com/VXdrvFAjyK
— ANI (@ANI) March 23, 2023
‘Modi surname’ remark
The defamation case was filed against Gandhi on a complaint registered by BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi for remarks he had made at a Lok Sabha election rally in Karnataka’s Kolar on April 13, 2019.
#WATCH | "I welcome the judgement of the court," says BJP MLA Purnesh Modi, who filed the complaint against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over his 'Modi surname' remark. pic.twitter.com/hIGhavQCym
— ANI (@ANI) March 23, 2023
“Why all the thieves, be it, Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi or Narendra Modi, have Modi in their names,” the Congress leader had made this remark during the rally.
Surat District Court sentenced lRahul Gandhi to two years of imprisonment in the criminal defamation case filed against him over his alleged 'Modi surname' remark.
Another apology coming?? pic.twitter.com/JVoIwdl0TC
— BALA (@erbmjha) March 23, 2023
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi was present in the Surat court when the sentence was pronounced.
A two years imprisonment for Rahul Gandhi technically attracts disqualification from Lok Sabha under Section 8(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, unless the sentencing is stayed by a higher court.
"My religion is based on truth and non-violence. Truth is my God, non-violence the means to get it- Mahatma Gandhi," tweets Congress MP Rahul Gandhi after he was found guilty in the criminal defamation case filed against him over his alleged 'Modi surname' remark pic.twitter.com/cME0i0vqNa
— ANI (@ANI) March 23, 2023
The Congress on Thursday put up posters backing Rahul Gandhi. The posters were put up outside the Surat Court where the Congress MP arrived for the court proceedings. The posters said “let’s go to Surat in support of democracy” along with pictures of Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev.
