Modi Surname Case: Tamil Nadu Congress Workers Stage Protest Against Rahul Gandhi's Conviction

Congress leader AK Gopanna said, "Such undemocratic activity of BJP is motivated by malice, it is a false case of defamation."

Congress workers including AK Gopanna staging protest at Satyamurthy Bhavan headquarters in Chennai

Tamil Nadu Congress workers staged a protest against the conviction of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in PM Modi's surname case at party headquarters, Satyamurthy Bhavan, in Chennai on Thursday. The Surat District Court held Rahul Gandhi guilty in the 2019 criminal defamation case against him over his alleged 'Modi surname' remark.

According to ANI, Congress leader AK Gopanna said, “Such undemocratic activity of BJP is motivated by malice, it is a false case of defamation. The public is watching everything.” 

Tamil Nadu | Congress workers protest at Satyamurthy Bhavan headquarters in Chennai

Such undemocratic activity of BJP is motivated by malice, it is a false case of defamation. The public is watching everything: Congress leader AK Gopanna pic.twitter.com/cfRophMULF

— ANI (@ANI) March 23, 2023

The Congress workers also gathered in front of Rahul Gandhi's residence to support the Congress leader in Delhi. A tweet on PTI said, "VIDEO | Congress supporters reach Rahul Gandhi's residence in Delhi to support the Congress leader. Earlier in the day, the Surat District Court held him guilty in the 2019 criminal defamation case against him over his alleged 'Modi surname' remark."

The case was filed against Rahul Gandhi 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.

The Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad made the alleged remarks while addressing a rally at Kolar in Karnataka ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

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

Gandhi had last appeared before the Surat court in the case, filed under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 and 500 (dealing with defamation), in October 2021 to record his statement.

(With PTI inputs)