According to sources, Rahul Gandhi is set to challenge his conviction in a defamation case tomorrow. The former Congress president was convicted in the case last week and sentenced to two years in prison. However, he was granted bail shortly after the verdict was delivered. The case was related to Rahul Gandhi’s remarks against the RSS, which the complainant alleged had tarnished the organisation’s reputation. Gandhi has maintained that his statements were made in the heat of the moment and were not intended to defame anyone.
Rahul Gandhi has, in his plea, asked the sessions court to set aside the Magistrate order convicting him in the defamation case
Sources have reported that Rahul Gandhi, the Congress leader who was disqualified from Parliament following his conviction in a defamation case and subsequent two-year prison sentence, will challenge his conviction and sentencing tomorrow in the Surat sessions court. Gandhi has submitted a plea to the court requesting that it set aside the magistrate’s order of conviction in the defamation case. Additionally, he has sought an interim stay on his conviction until the matter is resolved.
After being granted bail and a suspension of his two-year prison sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal his conviction in a defamation case, Rahul Gandhi had his suspension swiftly imposed by the Lok Sabha secretariat. This led to criticism from opposition leaders who questioned the speed at which action was taken against him.
Unless a higher court puts Mr. Gandhi’s conviction on hold, the Election Commission will need to announce a special election for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat. Additionally, he will be ineligible to contest any elections for the next eight years
The lawyer representing Mr Gandhi has argued that the court proceedings were flawed from the beginning, and also stated that PM Modi, rather than MLA Purnesh Modi, should have been the complainant in the case as he was the main target of Mr Gandhi’s speech.
