New Delhi: BJP leader and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi, the complainant in the defamation case against Rahul Gandhi, told the Supreme Court on Monday that the Congress leader has shown arrogance rather than being apologetic over his "All Thieves have Modi surname" remark, reported Bar and Bench.
Gandhi maligned a totally blameless class of persons by his reckless and malicious words, the complainant told the top court while arguing against a plea by Gandhi seeking a stay on his conviction in the defamation case over the 'Modi surname' remark.
"At the time of sentencing before the trial court, the petitioner far from being repetant and contrite, displayed arrogance ... The petitioner has maliciously and recklessly used scurrilous words against a large and totally blameless class of persons, who have caused no harm to the petitioner," the reply said, according to Bar and Bench.
As per the report, the complainant in his response further stated that Gandhi has on multiple occasions refused to apologise for the remarks in question.
The top court is scheduled to hear on August 4, Gandhi’s appeal challenging the Gujarat High Court’s July 7 verdict that declined to put on hold his conviction.
Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as a member of Lok Sabha in March after he was sentenced to two years in jail by a Surat metropolitan magistrate's court in the 2019 case over his "why all thieves have Modi surname" remark. Later, the Surat sessions court declined to stay the conviction in the matter.
The former Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad had said "how come all thieves have the common surname Modi?" while addressing a rally in Karnataka ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election, targetting PM Modi over his last name which he shares with fugitive businessmen Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi.
Following his conviction, Rahul was disqualified as an MP on March 24, as per a Supreme Court ruling in 2013. Under the ruling, any MP or MLA is automatically disqualified if convicted and sentenced to two years or more.