# Rahul Gandhi convicted in ‘Modi surname’ defamation case. Gujarat court sentences Congress leader to two years in jail.
RNS: Rahul Gandhi was convicted by the Surat Court of criminal defamation for his “Modi surname” remarks in 2019 (found guilty under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 and 500). The court ordered a 2-year prison sentence.
However, Chief Judicial Magistrate HH Varma granted Rahul Gandhi bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to appeal to a higher court.
This order may force a by-election in the Wayanad Parliamentary constituency and remove Rahul Gandhi as an MP. Rahul Gandhi witnessed the judgement in court.
Before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress leader spoke at a rally in Kolar, Karnataka. BJP MLA Purnesh Modi had filed a case against Rahul Gandhi for his remarks. The verdict comes as a shot in the arm for the BJP, which has long been demanding that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress to apologise for the remarks.
In response to the court decision, Government Minister Kiren Rijiju said, ‘whenever Rahul Gandhi says something, he brings shame to the nation and his party.’
