New Delhi (India), April 4, 2023: Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader and former Member of Parliament, has filed an appeal before the Surat district and sessions court against his conviction in a defamation case. Gandhi was sentenced to two years in jail for making defamatory remarks against Purnesh Modi, a BJP leader, during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
In his appeal, Gandhi argued that he was “treated harshly” and that the maximum sentence was imposed to “attract the order of disqualification.” He has also stated that the conviction was “erroneous” and that the material on which it was based was not proved by the law.
Gandhi’s appeal seeks suspension of the sentence and bail and argues that the punishment of two years of simple imprisonment is very harsh for a single defamatory imputation. The appeal also questions the right of Purnesh Modi to file the complaint and the lack of a mandatory inquiry before the summons was issued to the accused.
Furthermore, Gandhi raised concerns about the disqualification of an elected representative for interfering with the choice of the electorate in a free and fair election and the enormous burden that a by-election would cause on the state exchequer.
This appeal comes amid a heated political environment in India, with state elections scheduled in several states and the ongoing farmer protests in Delhi.
