Celebration Breaks Out In Congress, Workers In 'Rahul Gandhi' Masks Throng AICC HQ. WATCH

Celebrations broke out at the AICC office after the Supreme Court verdict, with Congress calling it a 'victory of love against hate'.

Celebrations broke out at the AICC office after the Supreme Court verdict.

Source : ANI

Jubilant Congress workers went into celebration mode and danced to drumbeats as the Supreme Court on Friday stayed the conviction of Rahul Gandhi in the criminal defamation case against him for his 'Modi surname' remark. Celebrations broke out at the AICC office after the Supreme Court verdict. "It is a victory of love against hate. Satyamev Jayate - Jai Hind," Congress tweeted.

#WATCH | Delhi: Celebration at the AICC Office after Supreme Court stays the conviction of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in 'Modi Surname' defamation case pic.twitter.com/HJuvsLkIb2

— ANI (@ANI) August 4, 2023

In April 2019, former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi filed a criminal defamation case against Gandhi over his "how come all thieves have Modi as the common surname" remark which Gandhi made during an election rally in Kolar in Karnataka.

On Friday, a bench of three judges – Justices B R Gavai, P S Narasimha and Sanjay Kumar – said that there was no doubt the sentence was in bad taste especially from someone a person with such a public life. However, the apex court did not agree with the maximum sentence imposed by the trial judge.

"Taking into consideration these and that no reason has been given by trial judge for imposing max sentence, order of conviction needs to be stayed pending final adjudication," the court said.

The Supreme Court said had Gandhi been given a sentence of 1 year 11 months, he would not have been disqualified as MP. Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as Lok Sabha MP in March after he was sentenced to two years in jail by a Surat metropolitan magistrate's court earlier this year over the “Modi surname" remark. Later, the Surat sessions court and Gujarat High Court declined to stay the conviction in the matter.

After the court stayed the verdict, Priyanka Gandhi said on Twitter, 'Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth ~ Gautama Buddha'.