In a major setback to Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, a suspended MP for India’s principal opposition Congress party, a court denied the stay on conviction in a defamation case made towards a remark deemed defamatory by the petitioner.
Gujarat High Court upheld a Sessions Court’s order, following which the ruling that Rahul Gandhi cannot contest elections or seek revocation of the suspension of his status as a Member of Parliament (MP), remains established.
Rahul Gandhi can now appeal the High Court order in Supreme Court.
Gujarat High Court said that the trial court’s conviction order is proper, there is no need to interfere with the said order.
The Court further noted that at least 10 criminal cases are pending against Rahul Gandhi.
Rahul Gandhi and Monsoon session of Indian parliament
Rahul Gandhi, thus, will not be able to make it back to the Indian parliament, that will convene for its monsoon session starting July 20.
If the Supreme Court also rejects Rahul’s request, he will not be able to contest 2024 General election as well.
The Gujarat High Court cited Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on controversial Indian freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar at Cambridge in its order.
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“It is needed to have purity in politics…A complaint has been filed against (Rahul Gandhi) by the grandson of Veer Savarkar in Pune Court after Gandhi used terms against Veer Savarkar at Cambridge,” said the High Court.
“Refusal to stay conviction would not in any way result in injustice to the applicant. There are no reasonable grounds to stay conviction. The conviction is just, proper and legal.”
Modi remark case: Will Rahul Gandhi go to jail?
Rahul Gandhi, the suspended Member of Parliament from Wayanad in South India’s Kerala state, will not go to jail as his two-year sentence was put on hold by a court previously.
Modi remark: What was it?
During election campaign for 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi at a rally had said: “How come all thieves have the common surname Modi?” BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi had filed the case over this statement made by Rahul Gandhi.
The former Congress party chief was sentenced to prison for two years on March 23 for the speech deemed defamatory by the court.
The Congress leader, who was the Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad in Kerala, was disqualified soon after.
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