A court in Gujarat's Surat today (March 23, 2023) found Indian Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi guilty, and sentenced him to two years in prison in a 2019 defamation case -- over his remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's surname.
Gandhi was granted bail, however, and his sentence was suspended for 30 days to allow him to appeal the verdict, reports NDTV.
Purnesh Modi, a BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister, filed the lawsuit against Gandhi for saying, "How come all thieves have the surname Modi?"
He made the remark while speaking at a rally in Kolar, Karnataka, ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, targeting PM Modi because of his surname, which he shares with fugitive financiers Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi, said the report.
Read More: Hasina, Modi inaugurate ‘Indo-Bangla Friendship Pipeline’ to boost energy cooperation
The Congress leader quoted Mahatma Gandhi in his first response following the judgement, tweeting in Hindi, "My religion is based on truth and non-violence. Truth is my God, non-violence the means to get it."
Gandhi arrived in Surat earlier in the day for the verdict and was greeted by key Congress leaders from Gujarat.
Posters glorifying him as 'Sher-e-Hindustan' (Lion of India) and banners saying that the "Congress will not bow before the dictatorship of the BJP" were displayed at various spots all over town as a show of strength and support for him.
After his conviction, Rahul Gandhi received rare support from Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal, who tweeted that he "disagreed" with the judgement.
Read More: Tax officials search BBC's Delhi offices weeks after Modi documentary
"A conspiracy is being hatched to eliminate non-BJP leaders and parties by prosecuting them. We have differences with the Congress, but it is not right to implicate Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case like this. It is the job of the public and the opposition to ask questions. We respect the court but disagree with the decision," Kejriwal wrote.
Rahul Gandhi had last appeared in the case before the Surat court in October 2021 to record his statement.