Surat: Congress leader who was convicted in a defamation case for using the ‘Modi’ surname while referring to thieves was granted bail today from Surat's sessions court and his two-year jail sentence has been suspended for 30 days to allow him to appeal against the verdict.
The 52-year-old Congress leader reached the sessions court in Surat in the afternoon and filed an appeal against his conviction in the 2019 defamation case. Rahul Gandhi was accompanied by his sister Priyanka Gandhi, three Chief Ministers and scores of party workers.
The sessions court will hear the matter on April 13.
Rahul Gandhi has to have his conviction reversed for his disqualification from Parliament to be cancelled and to maintain the Lok Sabha membership.
Chief ministers of three Congress-ruled -Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu- states were among the other leaders who accompanied him.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticized Rahul Gandhi's visit to Surat with his sister and some party leaders, calling it "a childish attempt" to influence the judiciary.
Law Minister Kiren Rijiju tweeted, "Rahul Gandhi may be going to Surat to file an appeal, but it is not necessary for a convict to do so in person. Typically, no convict goes personally. His decision to go with a group of leaders and aides is merely a theatrical stunt."
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi filed a defamation case against Mr Gandhi after he remarked, "How come all thieves have the common surname Modi?".
The opposition parties came together to criticize the BJP for allegedly misusing central investigative agencies against their members, prompted by Gandhi's disqualification order.