Defamation Case: Rahul Gandhi Moves SC After Gujarat Court Refused To Stay His Conviction

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has filed a petition in the Supreme Court, challenging the Gujarat High Court's decision to deny a stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case related to his 'Modi surname' remarks. The conviction in this case resulted in his disqualification as a Lok Sabha Member of Parliament.

The criminal defamation case was filed by BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi in response to a remark made by Gandhi during the 2019 Lok Sabha campaign. Gandhi had allegedly questioned, "Why do all thieves have the same surname?", referring to individuals like Lalit Modi and Nirav Modi. Purnesh Modi claimed that Gandhi's remarks defamed the entire Modi community, leading to the defamation case against him.

The Gujarat High Court dismissed Rahul Gandhi's review plea to suspend his conviction, stating that the grounds for seeking a stay on conviction were "absolutely non-existent." Justice Hemant Prachchhak noted that a stay on conviction is not the norm and highlighted that multiple cases are pending against Gandhi. The court emphasized the need for integrity in politics and mentioned a separate complaint filed against Gandhi by the grandson of Veer Savarkar in Pune Court. Refusing to grant a stay on conviction, the court stated that there were no reasonable grounds to do so.

BJP MLA Purnesh Modi welcomed the high court's verdict, suggesting that Rahul Gandhi should reflect on his actions and avoid making such remarks in the future.

In solidarity with Rahul Gandhi, the Congress party launched a nationwide protest and accused the BJP of resorting to "dirty tricks" to disqualify him from Parliament. Congress workers and leaders participated in a 'maun satyagraha' (silent protest) near Mahatma Gandhi statues in state capitals on July 12. However, due to heavy rain and floods, the scheduled "Maun Satyagrah" in four states (Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh) has been called off and rescheduled for July 23, as announced by Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal.