Guwahati: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was given a two-year prison sentence for 2019 defamation case brought against him for allegedly making disparaging comments about the “Modi surname” by Surat court .
However, after the court issued the ruling and Rahul Gandhi paid a Rs 10,000 bail bond he was also granted bail. Additionally, he is a serving member of parliament he won’t be immediately disqualified and will have 30 days to challenge the ruling.
In the build-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha general elections Rahul Gandhi had allegedly remarked, “how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?” during a public rally at Kolar in Karnataka.
BJP legislator Purnesh Modi and former minister of Gujarat filed a charge based on the information against Rahul Gandhi, the Wayanad MP.
Before today’s verdict, Rahul Gandhi stood before the Surat court. The last time he appeared in court was in October 2021 to give testimony in a slander case brought against him under IPC sections 499 and 500.
Rahul Gandhi had previously entered a not guilty plea to the accusations brought against him in court.
Speaking ahead of the court’s verdict, Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said, “Rahul Gandhi will remain present in the court when it pronounces its judgment in the criminal defamation case against him. He has made it clear that we respect the court whatever its judgment. We will welcome our leader and show him our support. The Congress cannot be browbeaten with cases like these.”
Meanwhile, BJP leader and Union law minister Kiren Rijiju said, “I’ll see the details of the order before I say anything. Whatever Rahul Gandhi speaks it always affects Congress party and the entire nation in a negative way. Some Congress MPs told me that because of his attitude, Congress is suffering.”