NEW DELHI: In a significant legal development, Rahul Gandhi's conviction in a defamation case has been stayed by the Supreme Court. Reacting to the news, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram emphasized that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla must promptly reinstate Gandhi's membership in the Lower House of Parliament.
The Supreme Court's decision offers considerable relief to Gandhi, as it suspends his conviction in a defamation case dating back to 2019, involving his remark about the surname "Modi," referring to the Prime Minister. This development paves the way for the revival of his Lok Sabha membership.
Now, with the Supreme Court order in hand, the Lok Sabha Speaker can take the initiative to restore Gandhi's membership. Alternatively, Gandhi himself can approach the Speaker with the apex court's backing and seek the reinstatement of his MP status.
Chidambaram expressed his satisfaction with the Supreme Court's order, stating that it vindicates the argument consistently presented by their legal team throughout the proceedings—from the trial court to the highest court in the country. According to Chidambaram, the Lok Sabha Speaker should act immediately and reinstate Rahul Gandhi's membership.
He further pointed out that, historically, there hasn't been any case in the last 162 years where a court imposed the maximum punishment of two years for "slander."
Chidambaram maintains that the case against Rahul Gandhi was fabricated solely with the intention of preventing him from taking his rightful place in Parliament.
The three-judge bench comprising Justices B R Gavai, P S Narasimha, and Sanjay Kumar highlighted that the trial court judge did not provide any reasons for convicting Gandhi, except for referring to an admonishment by the Supreme Court in a contempt case.
The Supreme Court's hearing was a result of Gandhi's plea to challenge the Gujarat High Court verdict, which had dismissed his request for a stay on his conviction in the defamation case filed by Purnesh Modi, pertaining to the "Modi surname" remark.
Throughout the legal proceedings, Rahul Gandhi had consistently refused to apologize for his statement but firmly appealed to the Supreme Court to suspend his conviction in the criminal defamation case, asserting his innocence.
Purnesh Modi had initiated the criminal defamation case in 2019 against Gandhi for his remark made during an election rally in Kolar, Karnataka, on April 13, 2019, where he questioned why all thieves seemed to have "Modi" as a common surname.
SC Stays Rahul Gandhi's Conviction in 'Modi Surname' Defamation Case
