The Supreme Court on Friday heard a plea by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi challenging the Gujarat High Court verdict that declined to put on hold his conviction in a defamation case over his “Modi surname” remark. Rahul Gandhi’s has challenged the Gujarat High Court’s July 7 verdict that declined to put on hold his conviction.
Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi has appeared for Rahul Gandhi. Singhvi who is representing the Congress leader argued, “Complainant Purnesh Modi’s original surname is not ‘Modi’ and he adopted this surname later. Not a single person Gandhi had named during his speech has sued. This is a small community of 13 crore people and there is no uniformity or homogeneity. Who is aggrieved in this community are only people who are BJP office-holders and are suing.”
“My client will be silenced for 8 years. He is not a criminal. BJP karyakartas filed many cases against him but no punishment has been found in any of them. The lower court judge called it a serious crime and has given a punishment of 2 years. But it is not a case of rape, murder or kidnapping,” Sighvi argued.
Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani who is appearing for complainant Purnesh Modi argued that Rshul Gandhi’s entire speech spanned over 50 minutes and there is plethora of evidence and clipping of the speech attached in EC’s record. Jethmalani says that Rahul Gandhi has defamed an entire class out of malice.
Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly refused to apologise for his Modi surname remark that led to his disqualification as an MP but urged the Supreme Court to stay his conviction in the criminal defamation case stemming from his comment, asserting he is not guilty.
The Congress leader was disqualified as a Member of Parliament on March 24 after a Gujarat court convicted him and sentenced him to a two-year imprisonment on charges of criminal defamation for comments he made about the Modi surname. The high court had dismissed his petition for a stay on conviction, observing that “purity in politics” is the need of the hour.
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