Ashish Ranjan
‘Modi Surname’ defamation Case: On Thursday, a court in the Gujarati city of Surat convicted Congress member Rahul Gandhi of criminal defamation for an alleged remark he made about the appellation of Modi. The court has sentenced him to two years in prison.
Section 504 of the Indian Penal Code has found Gandhi guilty. Two years is the utmost possible sentence under this section.The court also granted him parole and suspended his sentence for 30 days so he could appeal to a higher court, according to the attorney for the Congress leader, Babu Mangukiya.
Gandhi was present during the verdict’s announcement.Last month, the final arguments in the case resumed after the Gujarat High Court lifted its halt on proceedings imposed on the complainant’s request for Gandhi’s personal appearance.
The case was launched against Rahul Gandhi for his alleged remark, “How come all the thieves have Modi as a common surname?” The complaint was filed by former Gujarat minister and BJP MLA Purnesh Modi.The complainant alleged that a defamatory remark made at a rally in Kolar, Karnataka, ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections defamed the entire Modi community.
The Congress posted posters supporting Rahul Gandhi on Thursday. Posters were placed in front of the Surat court where the Congress representative arrived for court proceedings. Along with images of Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev, the posters stated, “Let’s go to Surat to support democracy.”
What is the defamation case regarding the Modi surname?
The case was lodged against the former Congress leader in 2019 for a comment he made at a rally in Kolar, Karnataka. In the rally preceding the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi questioned why all criminals share the surname Modi.
Purnesh Modi, a BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister, took offence to the remark, claiming that it defamed the entire Modi community.Then, Purnesh Modi filed a complaint against Rahul Gandhi, and a defamation case was filed against the MP for Wayanad under IPC Sections 499 and 500.
The reaction of Rahul Gandhi after being convicted
“My faith is founded on the truth and nonviolence. Truth is my God, and nonviolence is the means to obtain it,” tweeted Congress MP Rahul Gandhi after being convicted and sentenced to two years in prison by a Surat court on Thursday in a criminal defamation case involving a comment he made about the Modi surname.
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
The Gandhi descendant, who was present in court prior to the verdict, stated, “My intent was not malicious.”
The response of the Congress to Rahul Gandhi’s conviction
The president of the Congress, Mallikarjun Kharge, stated, “We believe in law and the judiciary, and we will fight this in accordance with the law.”
“Bail has been granted. We knew from the start because the judges kept shifting. We believe in law and the judiciary, and we will fight against this in accordance with the law, said Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in response to Rahul Gandhi’s conviction in the criminal defamation case lodged against him for his alleged ‘last name of Modi’ remark.
Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot referred to him as “courageous” and stated that only he can compete with the NDA government.
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“We continue to assert that our democracy is in jeopardy, as there is pressure on the judiciary, ECI, and ED, and they are all abused. All decisions are made under influence. Such remarks are typical… “Rahul Gandhi is a brave man, and only he can compete with the NDA government,” said Ashok Gehlot, chief minister of Rajasthan.
