Opposing the appeal filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at the Surat Sessions Court challenging his conviction in a criminal defamation case, the complainant objected to how Rahul brought a host of leaders to file the appeal. Purnesh Modi, who filed the criminal defamation suit, said that Rahul’s act was “immature” and alleged that it was done to pressurise the court. The session court, which granted bail to and suspended Rahul’s sentence for 30 days, will hear the case on Friday, April 14.
Purnesh Modi, in his petition, has stated that Rahul being accompanied by state and national level leaders was an attempt to pressurise the court. He also said that it was a "dirty display of childish arrogance". The response also stated that Rahul was a habitual offender and there were ten criminal defamation cases pending against him. "The accused is in the habit of making such irresponsible and defamatory statements which would either defame others or hurt someone's sentiments, in the name of freedom of speech and political criticism and dissent," Bar and Bench quoted from the reply.
The reply added that Rahul also endorsed the defamatory statement for which he was convicted on the public platform. “He is not only admitting the defamatory statement but also capitalising on the same,” the reply said.
Rahul was also scheduled to appear before an MP-MLA court in Patna in connection with the criminal defamation case on Wednesday. The case was filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) senior leader and MP Sushil Kumar Modi against Rahul Gandhi's alleged remark "Why all Modis are thieves" in his speech in Kolar district of Karnataka in 2019.
Rahul Gandhi was convicted in the same case (criminal defamation) from Surat court. He was also sentenced to two years jail and is currently on bail. Sushil Kumar Modi alleged that Rahul Gandhi's remark was derogatory and targeting people who have ‘Modi’ as their surname. While campaigning in Karnataka’s Kolar in 2019, Rahul had said, "how come all the thieves have Modi as common surname.” The statements of Sushil Kumar Modi, as a complainant, and Sanjiv Chaurashia, Nitin Navin and Manish Kumar as witnesses, have been recorded in the MP-MLA court.
(With IANS inputs)