The former Congress President was recently awarded two years of imprisonment over a defamation case filed by Gujrat BJP MLA Purnesh Modi, for comments made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and referring to the people with Modi surnames as thieves.
Rahul Gandhi is set to challenge his conviction and sentencing given by the Surat Session Court over a defamation case in 2019. The former Congress President was recently awarded two years of imprisonment over a defamation case filed by Gujrat BJP MLA Purnesh Modi, for comments made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and referring to the people with Modi surnames as thieves.
In his plea, Rahul asked the session court to set aside the order of the Magistrate which convicted him in the defamation case. He also asked for a stay on the order till the matter is finished.
Rahul Gandhi was granted bail and his sentence was postponed for 30 days to make him appeal the decision in a higher court, but the Lok Sabha secretariat was swift to suspend him from the lower house. The opposition parties questioned the “bullet train” speed with which his suspension came.
Unless Rahul’s conviction is stayed by a higher court, the Election Commission will declare the by-polls for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat. Additionally, Rahul will also be not allowed to contest polls for the next eight years. The former MP made the unfortunate remarks while conducting a rally in Kollur of Karnataka during the campaign for the 2019 general elections.
Rahul Gandhi’s lawyer has said that the court proceedings were biased from the start and also said that the complaint should have come from PM Modi, and not MLA Purnesh Modi, as the Prime Minister was the main target of Gandhi’s speech.
A few days after his disqualification, the former Congress Chief was given a notice to vacate his Delhi residence, as he was no longer an MP. The grand old party criticized the move and called it a conspiracy to silence Rahul Gandhi’s voice
BJP welcomes move
The ruling party welcomed the move and called it lawful, and questions are raised by the ruling party if Mr. Gandhi considers him above the law. The BJP has taken advantage of Gandhi’s comment and made the issue an insult to the OBCs of the country.
The ruling party has launched a mega campaign and assigned its OBC ministers, the task to make OBC people aware of Rahul’s comments.
Home Minister Amit Shah dismissed the opposition’s outcry, saying Rahul was not the only member who lost membership in Lok Sabha after being held guilty by a court.
Shah said Rahul Gandhi should go to higher courts to fight his case. “He has not appealed to take stay on his conviction. What kind of arrogance is this? Do you want special privileges? You want to continue as an MP and will also not go to the court,” Shah added.
Rahul’s dismissal brought the opposition together
Rahul’s dismissal has been a blessing in disguise for the opposition as it managed to bring together a fractured opposition with even political parties having differences, with the grand old party joining hands with them to protest against the decision of Rahul’s dismissal from Lok Sabha.
The opposition parties attacked the BJP over the misuse of Central agencies. Legal experts have said that a two-year sentence in a defamation case under section 499 of the IPC, under which Rahul Gandhi was booked is extremely rare.