Modi surname case: SC issues notice to Purnesh Modi, Gujarat govt on Rahul's plea

The Supreme Court on Friday (July 21) issued notices to Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi and the state government, seeking their response on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s appeal challenging the Gujarat High Court’s verdict which dismissed his plea seeking a stay on his conviction in a defamation case over his “Modi surname” remark.

The apex court has posted the matter for further hearing on August 4.

Modi had filed a defamation case in 2019 against Rahul over his remark “How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname,” made during an election rally in Karnataka’s Kolar on April 13 that year.

Also read: Major setback for Rahul as HC dismisses plea to stay conviction in Modi surname case

“The limited question at this stage is whether the conviction deserves to be stayed,” observed a bench of Justices B R Gavai and P K Mishra.

Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, , said the Congress leader has suffered for 111 days, lost one Parliament session and is about to lose another session.

In his appeal filed on July 15, Rahul said that if the July 7 judgment is not stayed, it would lead to throttling of free speech, expression, thought, and statement.

Also read: ‘Modi surname’ case: Rahul Gandhi moves SC over HC’s refusal to stay conviction

The Congress leader was disqualified as an MP on March 24 after a Gujarat court convicted him and sentenced him to a two-year imprisonment on charges of criminal defamation for comments he made about the Modi surname.

A stay on Rahul’s conviction could have paved the way for his reinstatement as a Lok Sabha MP but he failed to get any relief from either the sessions court or the Gujarat High Court.

(With inputs from agencies)