Court Dismisses Rahul Gandhi's Plea For Stay On His onviction
Update: 2023-04-20 12:34 IST
Rahul Gandhi
Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Congress, asked for a stay of coviction on Thursday, but the Surat Sessions Court in Gujarat rejected the request. In a 2019 criminal defamation action involving his comments on the Modi surname, this resulted in his removal as a Member of Parliament.
The order indicates that the Congress leader's disqualification is still in effect. Gandhi was found guilty on March 23 and given a two-year prison term by a metropolitan magistrate. On March 24, Gandhi lost his seat as an MP for Kerala's Wayanad.
Gandhi appealed the magistrate's decision before the sessions court on April 3. He was then given bail until the outcome of his plea. In a speech in Karnataka, he said that his remarks on the Modi surname were not disparaging and had been misinterpreted.
Purnesh Modi, a lawmaker for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who filed the complaint, referred to Gandhi as a repeat offender and described the Congressman's appeal as a "dirty display of childish arrogance." At an election rally in Kolar, Karnataka, in April 2019, Purnesh Modi asked Gandhi how all thieves have Modi as the common surname. He then filed a lawsuit against Gandhi under Sections 499 and 500 (defamation) of the Indian Criminal Code.