The delay in Rahul Gandhi filing an appeal is procedural

Congress leader, Rahul Gandhi is yet to file an appeal in the defamation case, in which he was convicted and sentenced to two years in jail.

On Thursday, a Magistrate Court in Surat, Gujarat convicted him after it held him guilty of making defamatory comments. A defamation case had been filed against Rahul Gandhi for his remark, 'everyone with the Modi surname is a thug.'

"When someone of an MP level addresses common people, the intensity of crime increases. If he is given lesser punishment, it gives out a wrong message to society that anyone can say anything and get away with it without consequences. Hence, keeping in mind everything, the accused is given two years imprisonment and is asked to pay a fine," the court had observed in its judgment.

Four days have gone by since the order was passed, but Rahul Gandhi is yet to file an appeal against his conviction.

Senior journalist, Pallavi Ghosh took to Twitter and said that the real reason why the appeal has not been filed is procedural.

"Sources on why Congress is yet to file an appeal n court on the conviction. Delay is procedural, order copy being translated from Gujarat which is taking time. Detailed response soon," she wrote on Twitter.

Many on Twitter found the delay amusing. 'Google translator would have given the gist. They didn't have a local lawyer till now,' asked one user.

Another asked, 'Congress can't translate instantly? Wow,' wrote another user. One more said that they wanted to milk the opportunity to use the victim card.

Following the order, Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha. Under Section 8(3) of the Representation of People Act, any MP, MLA or MLC convicted for an offence and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years shall be disqualified from the date of conviction.

This meant that the Congress leader stood disqualified from being an MP on March 23, the day the order was passed. Owing to the RP Act and his conviction of two years, Rahul Gandhi cannot contest an election for eight years unless his conviction is stayed or set aside by a higher court.