A Surat sessions court dismissed an appeal by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for a stay to his conviction in a criminal defamation case. The complaint was filed by BJP’s Purnes Modi over the Congress leader’s “Modi surname” remark.
Earlier, the sessions court had granted bail to Gandhi and suspended his two-year jail sentence, pronounced by a metropolitan magistrate court on March 23, till the disposal of his appeal seeking a stay on his conviction. The court held Gandhi guilty for his remark “How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname” made during an election rally in 2019.
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20 May 2025
Following the conviction, Gandhi was disqualified as an MP of the Lok Sabha, prompting several Opposition parties to lash out at the government. In his appeal before the Surat district and sessions court against his two-year conviction, Gandhi stated it seemed “reasonable to argue” that the maximum sentence awarded to him was to “attract the order of disqualification (as an MP)”.
