'Modi Surname' case: Rahul Gandhi appeals to Supreme Court for relief

Rahul Gandhi, the former president of the Indian National Congress, has approached the Supreme Court seeking relief in a case linked to his controversial "Modi surname" remark. Gandhi's legal team filed a petition contending that the criminal defamation case against him is a politically motivated move to harass him.

Gandhi was disqualified as a Member of Parliament on March 24, after a Gujarat court convicted him and sentenced him to two years in jail on charges of criminal defamation. The court found Gandhi guilty of making defamatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an election rally in Karnataka in 2019.

Gandhi had said, "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?" The court found that these remarks were defamatory and that they had caused harm to Modi's reputation.

Gandhi appealed the verdict, but neither the sessions court nor the Gujarat High Court upheld the conviction and sentence. Gandhi was released on bail pending appeal, but he was disqualified from holding office as a Member of Parliament.

The disqualification of Rahul Gandhi was a major setback for the Indian National Congress party. Gandhi is a popular leader and his disqualification weakened the party's chances in the upcoming elections.

Purnesh Modi, the BJP MLA who filed the defamation case against Rahul Gandhi, had filed a caveat in the Supreme Court seeking that he be heard if Gandhi moves a plea challenging the Gujarat High Court verdict.

A caveat is a formal notice to a court that a party is interested in a case and that they should be heard before any decision is made. In this case, Modi's caveat means that he will be able to argue his case before the Supreme Court if Gandhi decides to challenge the high court verdict.

The Gujarat High Court denied Rahul Gandhi's appeal against his conviction in the defamation case, noting that political purity is now more important than ever. The court further stated that representatives of the people should be "men of clear antecedent" and that a stay on conviction is not a rule, but rather an exception used only in exceptional circumstances, and that there was no plausible justification to stay his sentence.

"Rahul Gandhi is seeking a stay on conviction on absolutely non-existent grounds," the court added.

Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as a Member of Parliament after he was convicted of criminal defamation in a case filed by BJP MLA Purnesh Modi. The court found that Gandhi had made defamatory remarks against Modi during an election rally in Karnataka in 2019.

There are currently 10 cases pending against Rahul Gandhi, including the defamation case filed by Modi. A complaint has also been filed against him by the grandson of Veer Savarkar in Pune Court after Gandhi used terms against Veer Savarkar at Cambridge.

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