'Modi surname' case: Rahul's bail extended till April 13, no stay on conviction

Though today's verdict has granted bail to Gandhi, it has not put a stay on his conviction which had led to his disqualification as an MP. He shall therefore remain disqualified until the court gives a decision.

Surat: The Surat Sessions Court on Monday extended Former Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's bail in the PM Modi surname defamation case, while posting the matter for hearing next on April 13. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today reached Surat where he filed an appeal seeking a stay on his conviction by a Surat magistrate court for the defamation case over his remark on the 'Modi surname'.

The court had earlier given Gandhi time of 30 days to appeal its order granting him two years in jail. Though today's verdict has granted bail to Gandhi, it has not put a stay on his conviction which had led to his disqualification as an MP. He shall therefore remain disqualified until the court gives a decision. The court has meanwhile issued a notice to the complainant Purnesh Modi, asking him to file his reply by April 10 on the appeal.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and senior leaders including chief ministers of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh had accompanied Gandhi to the Gujarat court. Priyanka was seen with Rahul Gandhi aboard an IndiGo flight from Delhi.

The former MP from Wayanad was convicted and sentenced to two years in jail by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate H H Varma on March 23 in a defamation case over his 'Modi surname' remark in 2019 in Karnataka. The defamation case was filed against Gandhi by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi for saying "How come all thieves have the common surname Modi?"

The Bharatiya Janata Party came down heavily on Rahul Gandhi for accompanying his family and party leaders to file an appeal in the appellate court in Surat against his conviction by a magistrate court in the 2019 criminal defamation case. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra held a press conference earlier today to lash out at Rahul Gandhi and alleged that the Congress leader is going with his family and some chief ministers "with pomp and show" to "repeat and add to the insult" of the OBC community.

"Rahul Gandhi, his family members, CMs Ashok Gehlot & Bhupesh Baghel are going to Surat & will be creating mayhem in the name of appealing (against the two-year sentence) verdict. What's the need for this ruckus?" Patra said. Further slamming Rahul Gandhi over his "arrogance", the BJP leader alleged that he was not ready to apologize to the lower court for his remark.