New Delhi: The Surat sessions court has extended Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's bail in the defamation case and has set the date for the next hearing on April 13 after the leader filed an appeal challenging his conviction in the case. Hearing of the case challenging Rahul Gandhi's conviction will next be held on May 3 in Surat Court.
The Congress leader reached Surat sessions court today at 3 pm to appeal against his conviction in the 2019 defamation case. He was accompanied by Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi and Chief Ministers Bhupesh Baghel and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Congress MP in Rajya Sabha KC Venugopal were also present in the city apart from other leaders of the party.
'Attempt To Pressure Court': BJP Slams Congress
The Bharatiya Janata Party has been firing salvos at the Congress party as party leaders accompanied Rahul Gandhi saying they are "attempting to pressurise" the court.
Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju described it a "drama" and said, "They (Congress) are doing a drama to threaten the judiciary. I condemn it. If a court has convicted somebody, then the drama is basically about pressuring. Congress party considers a family above the country."
Union Minister Anurag Thakur also hit out at the Congress. "India won't tolerate the insult of backwards...Earlier, PV Narasimha Rao, P Chidambaram, and DK Shivakumar went to jail too, how many Congress people went with them? Is one family bigger than the country?" Thakur asked.
BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra also alleged that the Congress leaders along with Rahul Gandhi will create "mayhem" in the name of appealing against the lower court's order convicting the former Waynand MP in the 2019 criminal defamation case over his 'Modi surname' remark.