AAP supports Rahul after conviction in defamation case; Kejriwal claims 'conspiracy' against non-BJP leaders

A court in Gujarat's Surat held Gandhi guilty of defamation for his 2019 "Modi surname" remarks

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. | Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma

The Aam Aadmi Party on March 23 came out in support of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after he was sentenced to two years in jail in a defamation case, with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleging that a conspiracy was being hatched to "eliminate" non-BJP leaders and parties by prosecuting them.

A court in Gujarat's Surat held Gandhi guilty of defamation for his 2019 "Modi surname" remarks. It also granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court.

"A conspiracy is being hatched to eliminate non-BJP leaders and parties by prosecuting them. We have differences with the Congress, but it is not right to implicate Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case like this. It is the job of the public and the opposition to ask questions. We respect the court but disagree with the decision," Mr. Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi.

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha said opposition forms the core of democracy and dissent should not be stifled.

"Respectfully disagree with court verdict against Rahul Gandhi. Opposition forms the core of democracy. Dissent should not be stifled. India has a strong tradition of critique. Attempt to reduce this to the viewpoint of one ideology, one party, one leader is unconstitutional and undemocratic," he tweeted.

Rahul Gandhi gets 2 years imprisonment

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was sentenced to two years imprisonment by a local court in Gujarat’s Surat on March 23, 3023, in a criminal defamation case filed against him over his remark on the “Modi surname” that he had allegedly made during campaigning for 2019 parliamentary polls. He was granted bail.

The sessions court in Surat soon suspended the sentence for 30 days, so that Mr. Gandhi can appeal in a higher court. The court has given bail to him on ₹10,000 bond.

Mr. Gandhi was present at the court when the judge passed the verdict.

The criminal defamation case was filed against him by Surat BJP MLA Purnesh Modi, who was earlier president of Surat city BJP. 

In his complaint, Mr. Purnesh Modi alleged that Mr. Gandhi while addressing a poll rally in 2019 in Karnataka defamed the entire Modi community by saying “how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?” 

(With PTI inputs)