Rahul Gandhi, a prominent leader of the Congress party in India, was convicted by a Surat district court on Thursday for making defamatory remarks about people with the surname “Modi” during an election rally in 2019. He was sentenced to two years in jail and granted bail immediately.
The case was filed by Purnesh Modi, a BJP MLA and former minister in Gujarat, who claimed that Rahul Gandhi had insulted the entire Modi community by saying “How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?” while referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and some fugitive businessmen .
Rahul Gandhi had denied any wrongdoing and said that he was raising issues of corruption and unemployment in his speeches for the benefit of the nation. He also said that he did not intend to defame anyone with the surname “Modi” and that he respected the court’s judgment.
The conviction of Rahul Gandhi has sparked a political controversy in India, with the BJP accusing him of casteism and disrespecting democracy, while the Congress alleging a conspiracy to silence its voice.
