SC temporarily pauses Rahul Gandhi’s conviction in ‘Modi’ surname defamation case

The Supreme Court delivered a big reprieve to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday, temporarily pausing his conviction in a defamation case related to his ‘Modi’ surname remarks.

The Supreme Court intervened on Friday to suspend the criminal defamation conviction of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, opening the door for the restoration of his membership of Parliament.

Rahul Gandhi had turned to the Supreme Court after the Gujarat High Court rejected his plea to overturn a Surat court’s decision that found him guilty in the defamation case on March 23. The lower court had handed him a two-year sentence.

The apex court said that the trial court in Gujarat had imposed the maximum punishment of a two-year sentence without providing sufficient justification. The Supreme Court also said that the Gujarat High Court’s order made for a ‘very interesting read’ and that it had a ‘lot of preaching’.

The stay in conviction will allow the former Wayanad MP to contest the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.

The Supreme Court underscored the broader impact of disqualification, emphasising that it affects not only Rahul Gandhi but also the democratic rights of the voters he represents.

“Disqualification affects not only [Rahul] Gandhi but also the electorates of his constituency,” the Supreme Court said in its order.

SC temporarily stays Gujarat High Court’s order on Rahul Gandhi defamation case

On July 7, the Gujarat High Court denied his request for a stay on his conviction, emphasising the imminent need for ‘purity in politics’.

“There is no reasonable ground to stay the conviction. The trial court’s order is just, proper and legal and there is no need to interfere with the said order. The disqualification is not limited to only MPs and MLAs,” The Gujarat High Court had said.

In his plea against the High Court’s order, Gandhi appealed to the Supreme Court to temporarily halt his conviction in the defamation case, highlighting the trivial nature of the offence in the ‘exceptional’ case, and the ‘irreparable harm’ caused by his disqualification as a legislator.

The Supreme Court, on July 15, sought responses from petitioner Purnesh Modi and the Gujarat government, addressing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s appeal.

Expressing concerns over potential repercussions for ‘free speech and expression’, Gandhi argued that if the High Court’s verdict from July 7 was not put on hold, it could potentially stifle essential democratic principles.