Rahul going to Surat with pomp a bid to 'influence' judiciary, alleges BJP

As Rahul Gandhi is all set to move Surat Sessions court challenging his conviction in a criminal defamation case, ruling BJP has come down heavily on the Congress leader accusing him of attempting to "pressurise" the court by appearing before it with "all pomp and show".

Gandhi is expected to reach the court at around 3 pm today, Congress sources told news agency PTI.

The saffron party has pointed out that Gandhi family and some Chief Ministers are going to Surat "with pomp and show" to "repeat and add to the insult" to the OBC community.

"Rahul Gandhi, his family members, CMs Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel are going to Surat and will be creating mayhem in the name of appealing against the verdict (conviction and two-year jail term). What's the need for this ruckus?" ANI quoted party spokesperson Sambit Patra as asking in a press conference.

BJP then asked Congress whether its leaders are going to the court in full strength to "pressurise" the judiciary. "Rahul Gandhi, is it not true that you used a casteist remark against the OBC community? You called them a thief and abused them. You are going to Surat with your family and some Chief Ministers with pomp and show. Do you want to pressurise the judiciary?" he sought to know.

"Appealing is a democratic right. You are going to augment the insult that you have thrown to the OBC community by going and staging this kind of show in Surat. Are you trying to pressurise the Indian judiciary through these gimmicks of yours?" Patra wondered.

The BJP leader slammed Gandhi over his "arrogance" and alleged that he is still not ready to apologise to the lower court for his remark. "The lower court had given him opportunity to apologise, but he denied stating that he is Rahul and he will not apologise. Rahul and responsibility never go together," he asked.

"Why is this arrogance? The Supreme Court had pulled him up for his unbecoming remarks against PM Narendra Modi. He wasn't ready to apologise in Supreme Court too, but the court made him apologise in written in the form of an affidavit," Patra pointed out.

"Rahul Gandhi did not apologise to the lower court in Surat. Today, he is going there with his family to repeat and add to the insult he inflicted upon the OBC community," he added.

Union Minister Anurag Thakur said that India won't tolerate the insult of backwards and questioned whether one family is bigger than the country. "Earlier, P.V. Narasimha Rao, P. Chidambaram, D.K. Shivakumar had gone to jail too. How many Congress people went with them? Is one family bigger than the country?" Thakur questioned.

Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju accused the Congress of doing a "drama to threaten the judiciary." "I condemn it. If a court has convicted somebody, then the drama is basically about pressuring. Congress party considers a family above the country," Rijiju stated.

Gandhi was on March 24 disqualified from the Lok Sabha following his conviction by the Surat court in the case. Following his disqualification, the former Congress chief would not be able to contest elections for eight years unless a higher court stays his conviction and sentence.

The case was filed against Gandhi on a complaint of BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi for the Congress leader's alleged remarks "how come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?" Gandhi, who had served as an MP from Wayanad in Kerala, made the remarks while addressing a rally at Kolar in Karnataka on April 13, 2019, during the Lok Sabha elections campaign.

With inputs from agencies