4 August 2023, Mumbai: At a rally in Karnataka’s Kolar in April 2019, Rahul Gandhi, in a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said, “How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?”.
Following this the case was filed by Purnesh Modi, who is a member of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party in Gujarat state but is not related to the prime minister.
Modi Surname remark case in Supreme Court
The Supreme Court on Friday noted that the “utterances are not in good taste, person in public life is expected to exercise caution while making public speeches”.
A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices BR Gavai, PS Narasimha, and Sanjay Kumar was hearing Rahul Gandhi’s plea for stay on his conviction. The bench also observed that Rahul Gandhi ‘ought to have been more careful’.
The trial judge has awarded the maximum sentence of two years in the case, the top court observed in its judgement, adding that it would not have attracted disqualification if the sentence was a day lesser.
The Gujarat High Court had earlier refused to stay Rahul Gandhi’s conviction in the criminal defamation case. The Supreme Court bench has only stayed the conviction order passed by a trial court in Gujarat. The apex court has said that the ‘conviction needs to be stayed pending final adjudication.’
Rahul Gandhi to contest elections?
Rahul Gandhi will now be able to contest elections. Gandhi while maintaining that he was not guilty, on Wednesday requested the Supreme Court to stay his two-year conviction, enabling him to participate in the ongoing sittings of the Lok Sabha and sessions thereafter. Therefore, right ahead of the crucial 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress leader who carved a path for himself as the people’s leader through his famed Bharat Jodo Yara would now be able to contest further elections.
Rahul’s said Truth always Wins
The Congress on August 4 welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court to stay the conviction of Rahul Gandhi in a 2019 defamation case which led to his disqualification as Lok Sabha MP, and called the judgment “a win for democracy”.
Soon after the Supreme Court stayed the conviction, Rahul Gandhi said, “Truth wins if not today then tomorrow. My path is clear. I thank people for the love and warmth they showed.”
By ASC Priya