New Delhi, July 18, 2023: The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the plea of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi challenging the Gujarat High Court’s order that declined to stay his conviction in a criminal defamation case. Gandhi was sentenced to two years in jail by a Surat court over a ‘Modi surname’ remark.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Rahul Gandhi, mentioned the matter for urgent listing before the Supreme Court, according to ANI. The plea, filed by Singhvi on behalf of Gandhi, was scheduled for hearing by a bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and Manoj Mishra. Singhvi requested that the appeal be listed for either July 21 or July 24. The apex court has now fixed the hearing for July 21.
In his appeal filed on July 15, Rahul Gandhi stated that if the judgment is not stayed, it would lead to the suppression of free speech, expression, thought, and statement, as reported by PTI. He argued that if the high court verdict is not stayed, it would contribute to the systematic erosion of democratic institutions and pose a threat to the political climate and future of India.
The criminal defamation case was filed by Purnesh Modi, a former minister in the Gujarat government, against Rahul Gandhi in 2019. It pertains to Gandhi’s remark made during an election rally in Karnataka on April 13, 2019, where he questioned, “How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?”
In a setback for Rahul Gandhi, the Gujarat High Court dismissed his petition for a stay on conviction on July 7, emphasizing the need for “purity in politics.” The denial of a stay on his conviction prevents his reinstatement as a Lok Sabha MP. Despite his efforts, Gandhi did not receive any relief from the sessions court or the Gujarat High Court.
