Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Indian National Congress, has been found guilty and sentenced to two years in prison in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surname. The case was filed against Mr. Gandhi by BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi for saying “How come all thieves have the common surname Modi?”[1] The Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad made the remarks while addressing a rally at Kolar in Karnataka ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, targeting PM Modi over his last name, which he shares with fugitive businessmen Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi.
The court in Gujarat’s Surat has granted bail to Rahul Gandhi, and his sentence has been suspended for 30 days to let him appeal the decision. The verdict has sparked mixed reactions from the public and political leaders. Following the conviction, Mr. Gandhi earned a rare show of support from Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) boss Arvind Kejriwal, who tweeted he “disagreed” with the verdict. “A conspiracy is being hatched to eliminate non-BJP leaders and parties by prosecuting them. We have differences with the Congress, but it is not right to implicate Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case like this. It is the job of the public and the opposition to ask questions. We respect the court but disagree with the decision,” he wrote.[^2]
Mr. Gandhi’s lawyer has argued that the court proceedings were “flawed” from the beginning. The lawyer also argued that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and not MLA Purnesh Modi, should have been the complainant in the case because the PM was the main target of Gandhi’s speech.[1] Mr. Gandhi had last appeared before the Surat court in the case in October 2021 to record his statement.
This is not the first time that Rahul Gandhi has faced legal action over his comments. He has been involved in several defamation cases, including one in which he accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of assassinating Mahatma Gandhi. In that case, he was forced to apologize to the RSS and the court for his remarks.
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In conclusion, the verdict against Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Modi surname defamation case has sparked mixed reactions from the public and political leaders. While some have criticized the decision, others have welcomed it. Mr. Gandhi’s lawyer has argued that the court proceedings were flawed from the beginning, and the PM, not MLA Purnesh Modi, should have been the complainant in the case. This is not the first time that Rahul Gandhi has faced legal action over his comments, and it remains to be seen how this case will play out in the coming days and weeks.
Sources:
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-guilty-in-2019-modi-surname-defamation-case-3885663
