Gujarat High Court denies stay on conviction of Rahul Gandhi in a ‘Modi surname’ remark defamation case
On Friday the Gujarat High Court refused to stay Rahul Gandhi‘s conviction and two-year jail term in a criminal defamation case, which led to the loss of his Parliament membership.
The court ruled that granting a stay on conviction is an exception and not a rule. The bench of Justice Hemant Prachchhak observed as he pronounced the order.
The court noted, “Rahul Gandhi is seeking a stay on conviction on absolutely non-existent grounds. Staying on conviction is not a rule. As many as 10 cases are pending against (Gandhi). It is needed to have purity in politics… “A complaint has been filed against (Gandhi) by the grandson of Veer Savarkar in Pune Court after Gandhi used terms against Veer Savarkar at Cambridge…Refusal to stay conviction would not in any way result in injustice to the applicant. There are no reasonable grounds to stay conviction. The conviction is just, proper and legal.”
The defamation case, which dates back to the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign, revolves around Gandhi’s comment, “How come all thieves have the common surname Modi.” This remark was interpreted as an attempt to draw an implicit connection between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and fugitive businessmen Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi.
Gandhi’s counsel, in a hearing held on April 29, had argued that his client could lose his Lok Sabha seat “permanently and irreversibly” given that the offence carried a maximum punishment of two years.
The lawyer further contended that such a loss would result in “very serious additional irreversible consequence to the person and the constituency he represents.”
Earlier in May this year, the Gujarat High Court had reserved its order on Gandhi’s plea for a stay on his conviction in this defamation case.
Soon after the Gujarat High Court on Friday denied a stay on the conviction of former Congress president Rahul Gandhi in a ‘Modi surname’ remark defamation case, the Congress said that it respects the court judgment and would approach the Supreme Court.
Speaking to media at the party headquarters here, Congress treasurer Pawan Bansal said, “We respect the court, but we don’t agree with the judgment as according to us this is wrong.”
[With Inputs from IANS]
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