Rahul Gandhi Stands Firm in defamation case, Refuses Apology in Supreme Court

New Delhi, August 3, 2023: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has reiterated his stance in the Supreme Court, asserting that he will not apologize for the remarks for which he has been found guilty of defamation, as he firmly believes he is not guilty of the offense.

In his rejoinder affidavit, Gandhi maintained, “The petitioner maintains and has always maintained that he is not guilty of the offence and if he had to apologize and compound the offence, he would have done it much earlier.”

The case in question dates back to 2019 when, during a speech in Kolar before the Lok Sabha elections, Gandhi made a comment linking the surname “Modi” with various alleged wrongdoers. BJP leader Purnesh Modi filed a defamation case against him, resulting in Gandhi’s conviction and disqualification from the Lok Sabha, with a two-year sentence. His appeal is currently under consideration in the Supreme Court, after the Gujarat High Court denied a stay on his conviction.

Purnesh Modi, in a counter-affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, accused Gandhi of displaying arrogance instead of showing remorse over his statement.

In response to the proceedings, Gandhi contended that using the criminal process to force him into apologizing for an offense he denies committing is an abuse of the judicial system and should not be tolerated.

Moreover, he emphasized, “There is no Modi samaj or community established on record, and there are only Modi Vanika Samaj or Modh Ghanchi Samaj existing… [Complainant] has also admitted that the Modi surname falls under various other castes. There is also the admission that Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, and Mehul Choksi all do not fall within the same caste.”

The case continues to be closely watched as the Supreme Court deliberates on the issue.