Team News Riveting
New Delhi, August 2
Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday filed a rejoinder affidavit in the Supreme Court and refused to apologise in connection with the ‘Modi surname’ remark defamation case.
In his 63-page affidavit, he stated that the case does not fall under an “exceptional category” that entitles him to a relief or stay of conviction. The former Wayanad Member of Parliament (MP) claimed that he is not guilty and the conviction is unsustainable. If he had to apologise and compound the offence, he would have done it much earlier, the Congress leader said.
In the affidavit, he added the complainant, Gujarat BJP MLA Purnesh Ishwarbhai Modi, in his reply before the Supreme Court used slanderous terms such as ‘arrogant’ to describe Gandhi only because he has refused to apologise.
“Using the criminal process and the consequences under the Representation of Peoples Act to arm-twist Rahul Gandhi into apologising for no fault, is gross abuse of the judicial process and ought not to be countenanced by this Court,” Gandhi’s affidavit stated.
The affidavit, in response to Purnesh Modi’s affidavit in the case, further stated that he has an ‘exceptional’ case considering the offence being a “trivial” offence, and the irreparable harm caused to him with the disqualification as an elected MP. “On the other hand, there is no prejudice caused at all to the complainant. It is therefore prayed for that the conviction of Rahul Gandhi be stayed, enabling him to participate in the ongoing sittings of the Lok Sabha and the sessions thereafter,” it added.
A court in Gujarat’s Surat on March 2023 sentenced Congress leader Gandhi to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his “Modi surname” remarks. He stated this while addressing a rally at Kolar in Karnataka ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Earlier, Purnesh Modi had sought the dismissal of Gandhi’s appeal against his conviction in the criminal defamation case, saying he has defamed all those bearing the Modi surname, particularly people belonging to the ‘Modh Vanik’ caste of Gujarat.
