Arunachal: APCC protests Rahul Gandhi’s conviction in criminal defamation case
The defamation case, filed by former Gujarat minister and BJP MLA from Surat West Purnesh Modi......
ITANAGAR- The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee ( APCC ) on Thursday staged a protest after a Surat court in Gujarat convicted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his ‘Modi surname’ remarks.
The Surat CJM court has sentenced him to two years imprisonment. The court, however, granted the Wayanad MP bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court.
During the protest held at the premises of Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan – the Congress party’s state headquarters here, the protesters raised slogans against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and PM Narendra Modi.
The defamation case, filed by former Gujarat minister and BJP MLA from Surat West Purnesh Modi, pertains to the alleged remarks Rahul Gandhi made during a rally at Kolar in Karnataka ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections where he said: “Why all the thieves have Modi in their names – be it Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, or Narendra Modi?”
Speaking to reporters, APCC general secretary (admin) Gyamar Tana defended the former Congress president on the alleged ‘Modi surname’ remarks.
“Rahul Gandhi had only questioned the black money issue and he had just questioned PM Narendra Modi if he was even listening to all these allegations and doing something. He had only used the word ‘Modi’ and he was dragged to this defamation case,” Tana said.
He said that the MP has always fought fearlessly against the ‘authoritarian’ BJP government.
“This cowardly government can try all its dirty practices but they will never be able to silence us. We have full faith in the judiciary but we will challenge this verdict. The truth will prevail,” Tana added.
