Modi Surname Case: Why Gujarat HC Rejected Rahul Gandhi's Review Petition?

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will remain disqualified as a Lok Sabha MP after a Gujarat High Court on Friday rejected his plea seeking a stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his remark on "Modi surname". He can now approach the Supreme Court with his request.

Justice Hemant Prachchhak affirmed that the previous decision of the Sessions court, which declined to halt the conviction, was deemed "fair and lawful."

The judge also highlighted that there are at least eight other criminal cases pending against Gandhi.

"At least 10 criminal cases pending against him. Even after the present case, some more cases filed against him. Representatives of people should remain of clear character. One such is filed by the grandson of Veer Savarkar in a court in Pune as the accused used defamation (sic) terms against Veer Savarkar in Cambridge. In another case, complaints was also filed in a court in Lucknow," the judge said.

Further, the bench said that in the backdrop of the facts of the instant case, no case is made out to stay the conviction.

"In anyway, the conviction would not result in any injustice to the applicant. The conviction order is just, proper, and legal. There is no need to interfere with the said order. Therefore, the application is dismissed," the Court ruled.

On April 20, a sessions court in Surat dismissed Gandhi's plea seeking suspension of his conviction by the Magistrate court.

In a detailed order, the sessions court held that Gandhi's disqualification would not amount to be an "irreparable or an irreversible loss" to him and refused interim relief to him.

What did Rahul Gandhi say?

Addressing an election rally in Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi had linked Prime Minister Narendra Modi with fugitives like Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi.

"Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi. How come all the thieves have 'Modi' as a common surname?", he had said.