The Supreme Court of India stayed Rahul Gandhi's conviction in a criminal defamation case related to his 'Modi surname' remark on Friday, paving the way for the restoration of his status as a parliamentarian and his chance to contest the national elections in 2024.
In its judgement, the apex court observed that the trial judge had awarded the maximum sentence of two years in the case, barely allowing the former Congress Party chief to be politically disqualified.
Gandhi himself claimed that he was sentenced in a way precisely to allow disqualification as a parliamentarian. The Congress politician had said he was treated harshly by the trial court.
The court's ruling came days after the Gujarat High Court refused to stay his conviction in the same case.
Gandhi's counsel Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued that the trial and conviction came despite no evidence being presented, claiming that Gandhi was innocent.
Gandhi later appealed to the apex court to stay his two-year conviction and let him participate in the ongoing sittings of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament.
While observing the petitioner ought to have been careful in his utterances in public speeches, the Supreme Court observed, "The ramifications of disqualification [does] not just affect the right of the individual but also the electorate."
Congress Reaction
Welcoming the court order, Congress tweeted that this was a "victory of love against hatred."
Gandhi's sister and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took to X, formerly Twitter, and said: "Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth."
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge similarly wrote, "Truth Alone Triumphs!"
"We welcome the verdict by the Hon’ble Supreme Court giving relief to Rahul Gandhi. Justice has been delivered. Democracy has won. The Constitution has been upheld. BJP’s conspiratorial hounding of Shri Gandhi has been thoroughly exposed. Time for them to stop their malicious targeting of Opposition leaders. It is high time they respect the mandate given by the people and start governing the country, on which they have miserably failed in the last 10 years," Kharge tweeted.
After the Supreme Court order, Gandhi targeted the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), claiming that the newly-formed INDIA coalition will win the next elections.
Why Was Gandhi Disqualified?
A local court found Gandhi guilty in a defamation case in Gujarat on March 23. The case related to his 2019 Modi surname remark. The court handed him a two-year sentence and a fine.
A day later, he was disqualified as a Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) or parliamentarian; he represented the Wayanad seat in Kerala.
The Gujarat High Court had, on July 7, observed that "purity in politics" is the need of the hour. The High Court further said that there was no reasonable ground to pause the conviction, adding that the trial court's order was "just, proper and legal" and there was no need to interfere with it.
What Did Gandhi Say?
While addressing an election rally in 2019, Gandhi said, "Why do all thieves have the Modi surname in common?”
Reacting to Gandhi's comment, BJP legislator Purnesh Modi approached the court contending Gandhi’s statement, alleging that the former Congress chief had tarnished and defamed the Modi community.
Gandhi has maintained that there was no ill intention on his part when he made the statement in question.