A Surat court rejected Rahul Gandhi’s application for a stay on his conviction in the case over his “Modi surname” remark in just two words.
WEB DESK
After a Surat court convicted and sentenced Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a criminal defamation case, which led to his disqualification from the Lok Sabha, the party had pinned hopes on the Surat sessions court. On Thursday, those hopes were dashed, with just two words from the judge.
Though the judge pronounced two words, the written judgment is 27-page long.
The sessions court heard both sides on April 13 and reserved the verdict for April 20. If the court today stayed or suspended Rahul Gandhi’s conviction, the Congress leader could have been reinstated in Parliament.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the party will continue to avail all options still available under the law.
Following Rahul Gandhi’s conviction for his statement ‘why all thieves have Modi surname in common’, Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha.
In his appeal, Rahul Gandhi told the sessions court that there was no need for the maximum punishment, The trial was not fair, his lawyer told the court. The judgement by the magistrate was “strange” because the trial court judge “made a hotchpotch of all the evidence on record”, Rahul Gandhi’s lawyer told the court.
Opposing his plea, complainant Purnesh Modi said Rahul Gandhi is a repeat offender and he refused to apologise for the comment.