Surat: today Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will file an appeal in Surat Sessions court in Gujarat against his conviction and a two-years jail term in a criminal defamation case. Congress leader Gandhi will move the Sessions court today and the party expects that court will take up the matter today itself. Rahul Gandhi is expected to reach court at around 3 pm.
The former MP from Wayanad constituency in Kerala was convicted and sentenced to two years in jail by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate H H Varma on March 23 in a defamation case over his Modi surname remarks in 2019 in Karnataka.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi is accompanying Rahul Gandhi to Surat court and they have boarded a flight from Delhi to Surat.
Besides Priyanka, chief minister of Himachal Pradesh Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel along with Rajya Sabha MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi are likely to accompany Rahul Gandhi. Also, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole and CLP leader Balasaheb Thorat are expected to join the group.
The defamation case was filed against Gandhi by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi for saying “How come all thieves have the common surname Modi?”
Post Surat court’s verdict, Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as MP from Lok Sabha following his conviction in the case.
Congress party supporters were detained at Bharuch by police traveling by bus.
