Congress MP Rahul Gandhi Granted Bail In 'Modi Surname' Defamation Case; Oppn Hits Out

The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate HH Varma, which held Rahul 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.

Outlook Web Desk

Updated on: 23 March 2023 8:08 am

Rahul Gandhi

A court in Gujarat's Surat on Thursday convicted Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his alleged "Modi surname" remark.

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.

As per the Representation of the People Act, a person sentenced to imprisonment of two years or more shall be disqualified "from the date of such conviction" and remain disqualified for another six years after serving time.

Gandhi was present in the court when the verdict was pronounced. The case was filed against Gandhi for his alleged “how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?” remarks on a complaint lodged by BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi.

The Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad made the alleged remarks while addressing a rally at Kolar in Karnataka ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Congress's strong reaction

Meanwhile, the Congress on Thursday said that the former party chief will file an appeal against a Gujarat court verdict holding him guilty in a 2019 criminal.

Several Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, spoke out angrily on the matter.

"A scared machinery of power is trying to suppress the voice of Rahul Gandhi through 'saam, daam, dand, bhed' (every trick in the book)," Priyanka Gandhi said in Hindi on Twitter. "My brother has never been afraid, nor will he ever be. He has lived is life speaking the truth, will continue to speak the truth. Will continue to raise the voice of the people of the country," she said.

डरी हुई सत्ता की पूरी मशीनरी साम, दाम, दंड, भेद लगाकर @RahulGandhi जी की आवाज को दबाने की कोशिश कर रही है।

मेरे भाई न कभी डरे हैं, न कभी डरेंगे। सच बोलते हुए जिये हैं, सच बोलते रहेंगे। देश के लोगों की आवाज उठाते रहेंगे।

सच्चाई की ताकत व करोड़ों देशवासियों का प्यार उनके साथ है।
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) March 23, 2023

Saying that an appeal will be filed in the matter, Kharge slammed the BJP. If they point one finger at others there are four fingers pointed at them also, he said on Twitter.

कायर, तानाशाह भाजपा सरकार श्री @RahulGandhi और विपक्ष से तिलमिलाई हुई है क्योंकि हम उनके काले कारनामों को उजागर कर रहे हैं। JPC की माँग कर रहे हैं।

राजनैतिक दिवालियेपन की शिकार मोदी सरकार,

ED, पुलिस भेजती है
राजनैतिक भाषणों पर केस थोपती है।

हम Higher Court में अपील करेंगे।
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) March 23, 2023

The Congress said in a tweet in Hindi, "Everyone knows, Rahul Gandhi ji is raising his voice against a dictator. Showing the courage to call a wrong, a wrong. "The dictator is rattled by this courage. He is trying to intimidate sometimes via ED, sometimes via police, sometimes via case, sometimes via punishment," the party said.

सबको पता है

राहुल गांधी जी तानाशाह के खिलाफ आवाज़ बुलंद कर रहे हैं। गलत को गलत कहने का साहस दिखा रहे हैं।

इस साहस से तानाशाह घबराया हुआ है। कभी ED, कभी पुलिस, कभी केस, कभी सजा से डराने में जुटा है।

राहुल गांधी जी इस मामले में न्यायसंगत अपील दायर करेंगे। हम लड़ेंगे और जीतेंगे। pic.twitter.com/wdhA7nKCR7
— Congress (@INCIndia) March 23, 2023

Reacting to the development, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "This is new india, If you raise your voice against injustice, then ED-CBI, police, FIR will be imposed.

"Rahul Gandhi ji is also being punished for speaking the truth, for raising his voice against a dictator," Ramesh said.

ये न्यू इंडिया है

अन्याय के खिलाफ आवाज उठाओगे तो ED-CBI, पुलिस, FIR सबसे लाद दिए जाओगे।

राहुल गांधी जी को भी सच बोलने की, तानाशाह के खिलाफ आवाज़ बुलंद करने की सजा मिल रही है।

देश का कानून राहुल गांधी जी को अपील का अवसर देता है, वह इस अधिकार का प्रयोग करेंगे।

हम डरने वाले नहीं
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) March 23, 2023

AAP comes out in support of Gandhi

The Aam Aadmi Party Thursday came out in support of Rahul Gandhi, with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleging that a conspiracy was being hatched to "eliminate" non-BJP leaders and parties by prosecuting them.

"A conspiracy is being hatched to eliminate non-BJP leaders and parties by prosecuting them. We have differences with 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," Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi.

ग़ैर बीजेपी नेताओं और पार्टियों पर मुक़दमे करके उन्हें ख़त्म करने की साज़िश हो रही है

हमारे कांग्रेस से मतभेद हैं मगर राहुल गांधी जी को इस तरह मानहानि मुक़दमे में फ़साना ठीक नहीं। जनता और विपक्ष का काम है सवाल पूछना। हम अदालत का सम्मान करते हैं पर इस निर्णय से असहमत हैं
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) March 23, 2023

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha said opposition forms the core of democracy and dissent should not be stifled.

"Respectfully disagree with court verdict against Rahul Gandhi. Opposition forms the core of democracy. Dissent should not be stifled. India has a strong tradition of critique. Attempt to reduce this to the viewpoint of one ideology, one party, one leader is unconstitutional and undemocratic," he tweeted.

Respectfully disagree with court verdict against @RahulGandhi. Opposition forms core of democracy. Dissent should not be stifled. India has strong tradition of critique. Attempt to reduce this to viewpoint of one ideology, one party, one leader is unconstitutional & undemocratic.
— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) March 23, 2023

Gandhi tweets Gandhi

After his conviction, Rahul Gandhi tweeted a quote of Mahatma Gandhi, "Mera dharma satya aur ahimsa par adhaarit hai. Satya mera bhagwan hai, ahimsa use pane ka sadhan (My faith is based on truth and non-cm violence. Truth is my God and non-violence a means to reach him)."