Matter will be taken up further: Cong on HC's refusal to stay Rahul's conviction in defamation case

NEW DELHI:The judgment redoubles the Congress' resolve to pursue the matter further, the party on Friday said after the Gujarat High Court refused to stay Rahul Gandhi's conviction in a defamation case. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the reasoning of the judge is being studied and the matter will be taken up further.

"We have noted the verdict of the single-judge bench of the Gujarat High Court on the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi. The reasoning of the Hon'ble judge is being studied, as it should be, and Dr. Abhishek Singhvi will be briefing the media in detail at 3 pm. The judgement only redoubles our resolve to pursue the matter further," Ramesh said on Twitter. The Gujarat High Court on Friday dismissed Gandhi's plea seeking a stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remark.

Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala termed it a "Travesty of justice".

"Instead of punishing 'Bank Fraudsters' like Nirav Modi, Ami Modi, Neeshal Modi, Mehul Choksi and ilk, the 'messenger' exposing the deceit and swindling of public money is being punished," Surjewala said in a tweet.

He said Rahul Gandhi has chosen the path of truth, of righteousness, of fearlessness and of seeking accountability from those in citadels of power.

"We will tread upon the path of truth and righteousness, come what may... Satyamev Jayate !" the Congress leader said.

While dismissing the plea, Justice Hemant Prachchhak noted that Gandhi is already facing 10 cases across India, adding the order of the lower court was "just, proper and legal" in convicting the Congress leader.

The court noted that there is no reasonable ground to stay the conviction. A metropolitan magistrate's court in Surat on March 23 had sentenced Gandhi to two years in jail after convicting him under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 and 500 (criminal defamation) in a 2019 case filed by BJP Gujarat MLA Purnesh Modi.