Rahul Gandhi latest news

Recently, a magistrate court in Gujarat's Surat sentenced Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to two years' imprisonment in a criminal defamation case filed by former BJP Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Purnesh Modi. The case pertains to Gandhi's 'controversial' speech delivered during the 2019 political campaign in Kolar, where he had linked Prime Minister Narendra Modi with fugitives like Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi, saying "Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi. How come all the thieves have 'Modi' as a common surname?"

The court held that Gandhi insulted and defamed 13 crore people in India who have the surname 'Modi'. The judge noted that since Gandhi is a Member of Parliament, whatever he says will have a greater impact, and thus he should have exercised restraint. The court further stated that even though Gandhi had claimed that he did not intend to humiliate people with the surname 'Modi', he failed to adduce evidence to show any change in his conduct.

The judge further observed that when an MP addresses the public in the capacity of a parliamentarian, it has a very wide impact on the public. Hence, the seriousness of the crime is greater if the accused is an MP, and if the accused is punished less, it sends a wrong message to society.

In the judgment, the court noted that the present complaint was filed due to the personal, physical, mental, and social trauma suffered by the complainant owing to the defamatory words used by Gandhi. Through his speech, people with the Modi surname were defamed and looked down upon in society, the court opined.

The court declined to give a lenient sentence stating that a lesser punishment would send a wrong message to the society. It held that the prosecution had proved the case beyond reasonable doubt, not only through electronic evidence but also through the statements of witnesses who were present at the rally.

Gandhi had submitted that he does not discriminate against anyone and that he loves and cherishes all citizens of this country. However, the court noted that the controversial statement made by Gandhi was proved beyond reasonable doubt and that a lesser punishment for an MP would send the wrong message to society.