New Delhi: The Supreme Court (SC) will hear on July 21 senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s plea challenging the Gujarat High Court order, which had declined to stay his conviction in the criminal defamation case over a ‘Modi surname‘ remark.
On Tuesday, Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud assigned the date of hearing after senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Gandhi in the apex court, mentioned the matter and sought an early hearing.
The appeal was filed on July 15 after the Gujarat High Court dealt a blow to Gandhi’s endeavour to revive his Lok Sabha membership. The high court observed that the Congress leader “breached modesty” and that his offence involved “moral turpitude”.
In his appeal filed in the apex court, Gandhi has said that if the judgment is not stayed, it would lead to the throttling of free speech, expression, thought, and statement. He contended that if the high court verdict is not stayed, it would contribute to the systematic, repetitive emasculation of democratic institutions and the consequent strangulation of democracy, which would be gravely detrimental to the political climate and future of India.
The case dates back to 2019, when Purnesh Modi, a former minister in the Gujarat government, filed a criminal defamation case against Gandhi over his “How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?” remark made during an election rally at Kolar in Karnataka on April 13, 2019.
On March 23, a Gujarat magisterial court convicted Gandhi for his remarks. Following the verdict, the Congress leader was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, which disqualified him as an MP under the Representation of People Act. Gandhi was declared disqualified as MP from Kerala’s Wayanad on March 24, following notification of the Lok Sabha Secretariat.
The Supreme Court hearing on July 21 will be crucial for Gandhi, as it will determine whether he will be able to revive his Lok Sabha membership. The case also has implications for the future of free speech in India.