Senior Congress leader and former Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi is likely to be in Surat on Monday, April 3, to appeal against the conviction in defamation case. Citing Congress sources, news agency ANI said that the former Congress President will move the upper court, Sessions Court in Surat, against the conviction of the lower court. However, Indian Express, citing Congress sources, has reported that Rahul Gandhi has already filed the appeal and the plea will be heard tomorrow.
Rahul Gandhi was convicted by Surat Magistrate Court on 23 March 2023. He was held guilty in a criminal defamation case filed against him over his remarks insulting the Modi surname. During an election rally in 2019, Rahul Gandhi had alleged that everyone with the Modi surname, including Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi and Narendra Modi, are thieves. Following this, Gujarat BJP leader Surat Purnesh Modi had filed a criminal defamation case against the Congress leader, accusing him of defaming the entire Modi community.
The court found Rahul Gandhi guilty of the same, and sentenced him to 2 years in prison, while giving a month to appeal against the verdict. The court also kept the sentence suspended till he files an appeal.
Following his conviction, Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from being an MP and the same can be overturned only if the upper court stays the conviction. However, it has been ten days since the conviction and Rahul Gandhi has not yet filed an appeal. Earlier it was reported that the delay in appeal was a procedural delay as Congress leaders were working to get a translation of the order that was in Gujarati. Congress has a battery of legal eagles including some lawyers from Gujarat Congress team who could have helped with translation. Despite that, the appeal took ten days.
