NEW DELHI: The Congress on Friday hailed the Supreme Court’s interim order staying the conviction of party leader Rahul Gandhi in a criminal defamation case and said the apex court judgment “is a strong vindication of truth and justice”.
The Supreme Court, in an interim order, stayed the conviction of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the criminal defamation case over ‘Modi surname’ remark
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said he will write to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to revoke the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from the House following the apex court order.
“It’s a happy day…I will write and speak to Lok Sabha Speaker today itself,” Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury told ANI.
“This is the victory of truth. This will prove costly for Prime Minister,” he said.
Chowdhury sought to raise the demand for revocation of Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification in Lok Sabha on Friday.
He said he will also make the demand on Monday.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said Rahul Gandhi has “refused to bend” despite the relentless efforts of BJP.
“The Supreme Court judgment is a strong vindication of truth and justice. Despite the relentless efforts of the BJPs machinery, @RahulGandhi has refused to bend, break or bow, choosing instead to place his faith in the judicial process,” Jairam Ramesh said in a tweet.
“Let this be a lesson to the BJP and its acolytes: you can do your absolute worst but we will not back down. We will continue to expose and call out your failures as a Government and as a party. We will continue to uphold our Constitutional ideals and repose faith in our institutions which you so desperately want to destroy. Satyameva Jayate!” he added.
The apex court issued notices to the Gujarat government and the complainant in July on an appeal of the Congress leader challenging the Gujarat High Court order.
The Gujarat HC had earlier in its order declined to stay his conviction in the criminal defamation case in which he was sentenced to two years in jail by the Surat court over the ‘Modi surname’ remark.
After his conviction in the case, Gandhi was disqualified as MP from Kerala’s Wayanad on March 24.
Gandhi was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment which disqualified him as an MP under the rigours of the Representation of People Act.
In March, the magisterial court convicted Gandhi for his remarks ahead of the 2019 national polls about the ‘Modi’ surname. (ANI)