Surat Court To Deliver Verdict On Defamation Case Over Rahul Gandhi Remark On 'Modi Surname’ Today

The defamation case was filed by BJP MLA Purnesh Modi against Rahul Gandhi for his alleged 'how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?' remark.

New Delhi: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi will be in Surat today as a city court is scheduled to deliver its judgment in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his "Modi surname" remarks, said party leaders on Wednesday, reported news agency PTI. 

"Rahul Gandhi will remain present in the court (on Thursday) when it pronounces its judgment in the criminal defamation case against him. He has made it clear that we respect the court whatever its judgment. We will welcome our leader and show him our support. The Congress cannot be browbeaten with cases like these," said Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi.

The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate HH Varma had concluded hearing final arguments from both sides last week and set March 23 to pronounce the judgment in the four-year-old defamation case, Gandhi's lawyer Kirit Panwala said, as per the report. 

The case was filed against the Wayanad MP for his alleged “how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?” remarks on a complaint lodged by BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi. Gandhi made the alleged remarks while addressing a rally at Kolar in Karnataka ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Rahul’s ‘Modi Surname’ Remark Case

In his complaint, the BJP MLA alleged that Gandhi while addressing the poll rally in 2019, defamed the entire Modi community by purportedly saying, "How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?" Modi was a minister in the first tenure of the Bhupendra Patel government. The ruling party legislator was re-elected from the Surat West Assembly seat in the December elections.

A case was registered against the Congress leader under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 and 500 (dealing with defamation). Gandhi last appeared in the Surat court in October 2021 to record his statement. Before that, the Congress MP had appeared in court to plead not guilty to charges leveled against him.

Congress’ Show Of Strength 

To prepare for Gandhi’s visit to the city, Senior state Congress leaders, including Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee president Jagdish Thakor, legislature party leader Amit Chavda, AICC in-charge of Gujarat Raghu Sharma and MLAs were in Surat. 

Taking to Twitter, the GPCC president asserted the party will not bow before the "dictatorship of BJP," and appealed to people to be present in large numbers to welcome Gandhi.