The Congress has called for a meeting of opposition leaders today following the conviction of Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case. The meeting is expected to commence at 10 am.
Gandhi, aged 52, was found guilty of defamation after making a campaign trail remark in 2019 that implied Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a criminal. Despite being granted bail, his sentence has been suspended for 30 days to enable him to appeal the decision.
“This is not just a legal issue, but also a serious political issue relating to the future of our democracy. The verdict is a great example of the Modi government’s politics of vengeance, threats, intimidation, and harassment,” said senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh after the party met yesterday to discuss its strategy.
The recent court decision is the latest in a series of legal actions against opposition party figures and institutions deemed critical of the Modi government.
Following the meeting at Congress chief M Kharge’s residence, it was decided that the Party chief would hold a meeting with all Pradesh Congress chiefs and Congress Legislature Party leaders in the evening to plan agitations in states.
The Congress has announced that around 11:30 am or noon today, all opposition parties will march from Parliament to the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The party has requested time from President Droupadi Murmu to present their case.
Beginning on Monday, the principal opposition party will hold protests in Delhi and other states on this issue. “We will fight this legally as well. We will use the rights that the law gives us, but this is also a political contest. We will fight it directly, we will not back down, we will not be afraid, we will also make it a big political issue,” added Mr Ramesh.
The Congress has stated that the defamation case verdict is “erroneous and unsustainable” and will be challenged in a higher court, expressing hope that the judgment will be stayed and quashed.
In 2013, the Supreme Court had ruled that any MP or MLA stands disqualified from the time of their conviction if a sentence of two or more years is pronounced.
The case against Rahul Gandhi emerged from a comment made during the 2019 election campaign when the 52-year-old asked why “all thieves have Modi as (their) common surname”.
In his first response to the verdict, Mr Gandhi cited Mahatma Gandhi, tweeting in Hindi, “My religion is based on truth and non-violence. Truth is my God, non-violence the means to get it.”
