Uttam hails SC stay on RaGa’s conviction, says justice triumphed

Hyderabad: Congress MP and former TPCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy has hailed the Supreme Court's decision to stay AICC leader Rahul Gandhi's conviction in a criminal defamation case of 2019 related to a comment about the "Modi surname."

In a statement here on Friday, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the Supreme Court's decision serves two essential purposes: firstly, it reinstates Gandhi's position as a Member of Parliament, and secondly, it enables him to participate in the Lok Sabha elections due to be held the following year. The Congress MP said Justice BR Gavai's judgment correctly highlighted the broader implications of Rahul Gandhi's conviction. In addition to tarnishing Gandhi's political standing, such a conviction could infringe on the rights of the electorate, who chose him as their representative.

Uttam Kumar Reddy criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party accusing it of being a "factory of hate speeches." He said the BJP strategically targeted Gandhi with a defamation case in an attempt to invalidate his parliamentary membership and impose an eight-year silence on him. In contrast to BJP leaders, Uttam Kumar Reddy maintained that Gandhi consistently uses respectful language when criticizing opponents. He argued that BJP leaders feared the increasing popularity of Rahul Gandhi following the Bharat Jodo Yatra. They anticipated that Rahul Gandhi's messages of peace and his establishment of 'Mohabbat Ki Dukan' could destabilize their reign, which Uttam Kumar Reddy portrayed as one characterized by hatred and violence.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said there were several BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, who regularly use provocative, defamatory, and even intimidating language in their speeches without facing any substantial consequences. He argued that Rahul Gandhi was singled out and targeted on baseless accusations.

Stating that justice has prevailed, Uttam Kumar Reddy expressed confidence that the final verdict would also come in favour of Rahul Gandhi. He reiterated that no force on earth could silence the voice of the people. "The Supreme Court's verdict not only rekindled public faith in the judiciary's strength, but also underscored the significance of protecting democratic values," he added.