A court in Surat, India, is expected to deliver its verdict today on a plea filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi seeking a stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case. Gandhi was convicted for his alleged 'Modi surname' remark that reportedly defamed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Purnesh Modi. Gandhi was granted bail by the Surat Sessions Court on April 3, after he appealed against his conviction. The court also issued notices to Purnesh Modi and the state government on Gandhi's plea for a stay on his conviction. The court heard arguments from both sides and reserved its order for April 20.
The Congress leader was a Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad, but he was disqualified after a lower court in Surat sentenced him to two years in jail on March 23 under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the case filed by BJP MLA Purnesh Modi.
The controversy began in April 2019 when Rahul Gandhi, while addressing a rally in Karnataka, said that the "entire country is being run by four people", referring to Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Anil Ambani, and Adani. He further added that "three of them have the Modi surname" and that they are not "common people". This comment drew the ire of the BJP, which accused Gandhi of insulting and defaming the Prime Minister and his associates.
The case was filed by Purnesh Modi in May 2019, and it went to trial in a Surat court. The court convicted Gandhi on March 23, 2021, and sentenced him to two years in jail, along with a fine of Rs 10,000. Gandhi then filed an appeal in the Surat Sessions Court, which granted him bail and reserved its order on his plea for a stay on conviction.
The verdict on Gandhi's plea for a stay on his conviction is expected to have far-reaching consequences, as it will determine the fate of his political career. If the court grants him a stay, Gandhi could be back in the political arena, whereas if his conviction is upheld, he will have to serve a two-year jail term and face disqualification from contesting elections.
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