Surat Court convicts Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case for his remarks during a political campaign in 2019Gujarats Surat District court convicted Congress leader and MP Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case over remarks he made during a political campaign in Karol in April 2019 about “why all thieves share the Modi surname.” According to the Congress leaders lawyer, Babu Mangukiya, the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate HH Varma, which found Gandhi guilty under Indian Criminal Code sections 499 and 500, also gave him bail and stayed the punishment for 30 days to allow him to appeal to a higher court.Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, in response to the court judgement, stated, “We knew from the start since they kept switching judges. We believe in the law, judiciary and the courts, and we will fight this in accordance with the law “.Why the defamation case against Rahul GandhiThe case involves a remark made by Rahul Gandhi during a pre-election rally in Kolar, Karnataka. “How come all the thieves have Modi as their surname” Gandhi allegedly questioned ahead of the Lok Sabha election.Purnesh Modi, a BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister, filed a complaint against Gandhi. Purnesh claimed Gandhis statement slandered the whole Modi community. The comments were recorded on camera by the video surveillance team and video viewing team duly notified by the Kollar Districts Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officers office.Purnesh was a minister in Gujarat during the first term of Bhupendra Patels cabinet. In the December 2022 election, he was re-elected to the Surat West assembly seat. The complainant, the Surat West MLA, praised the courts decision in a statement.Rahul Gandhi, on the other hand, insisted that he didnt have any malafide intentions when he made the controversial statement.Response to the verdictIn response to the Surat courts decision, former deputy chief minister of Rajasthan and top Congress official Sachin Pilot tweeted: “@RahulGandhi Ji is continuously fighting the war of every layer of our country… in an effort to save the constitutional institutions. The use of fear tactics like the Enforcement Directorate – Central Bureau of Investigation was also unsuccessfully pursued during this period. He will resist any attempts to intimidate him or the Congress party.Abhishek Singhvi, a senior member of the Congress, commented on the Surat courts decision as follows: “Without going into the specifics of the 178-page verdict, I would like to stress that this is unsustainable and we would be contesting it before a higher court. I would like to clarify, nevertheless, that we have complete faith in the legal system and will exercise our right to appeal this ruling.After the judgement, a large number of party workers gathered in various parts of the city to show their strength and support for their leader Rahul Gandhi, with posters hailing him as the Sher-e-Hindustan (lion of Hindustan) and placards saying that the “Congress would not bow before the dictatorship of the BJP” on exhibit.However, after the Surat court found Congress MP Rahul Gandhi guilty of defamation for his comments regarding “Modi surnames,” the BJP stepped up its offensive. Union Minister Piyush Goyal responded to the situation by stating that Rahul Gandhi “defies and disrespects every democratic institution, whether it be the Parliament or the judiciary. He needs to shed his dynastic attitude and understand that no one is greater than the nation, the people of India, or the Indian Constitution and that no one should regard themselves as above the law.
