International Desk: Indian opposition Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will appeal against the two-year sentence in the defamation case. A lawmaker from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) filed the case. The Indian Express reported this information with reference to the local media.
On March 23, a court in Gujarat sentenced 52-year-old Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to two years in prison for making offensive comments about the name ‘Modi’, according to reports. However, the court granted Rahul 30 days bail and an opportunity to appeal.
Rahul was disqualified from the Lok Sabha a day after serving a two-year jail term in a defamation case. As a result, his membership in the Indian Lok Sabha was rejected. A defamation case was filed against Rahul in 2019.
While campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections at that time, he addressed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said, ‘Chowkidar chor hai’. He also said, ‘Why are all Modis thieves? How come all thieves have the surname ‘Modi’?’
Rahul Gandhi has filed an appeal against the magistrate’s verdict in the Surat Sessions Court. A senior Congress official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters news agency that a hearing on the petition is scheduled for Monday (April 3). However, Rahul’s lawyer did not comment on this.
Other opposition leaders have faced investigations and legal troubles in recent months. Rahul Gandhi’s trial and disqualification from Parliament are seen by opposition politicians as the latest evidence of the Modi government’s aggressive strategy.
On March 25, Rahul said he would not comment on the punishment as the matter was pending. However, referring to his disqualification in Parliament, a Congress leader said he was disqualified for asking ‘tough questions’ about Modi’s relationship with Adani Group founder Gautam Adani.
Opposition critics have alleged that the Modi government is unduly supporting business groups led by tycoon Adani. The company’s shares fell after Hindenburg Research published a report on capital market irregularities and investments in tax havens.
A day after Rahul’s sentence was announced, 14 political parties jointly filed a petition in the Supreme Court. It was said that opposition political parties have become deliberate targets of the Central Intelligence Agency. The court has fixed the date of hearing on this application for April 5.
Rahul’s decision to reject parliamentary membership has brought the opposition closer. Leaders of 16 other parties joined the meeting called by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on March 27 to establish opposition unity in the ‘movement to protect democracy’. Besides, many opposition leaders, including those from his party, came to the parliament building wearing black clothes to protest the rejection of Rahul’s parliamentary membership.
