New Delhi, July 18: The Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing for July 21 regarding Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s plea to challenge the Gujarat High Court’s order, which refused to suspend his conviction and two-year jail term in the ‘Modi’ surname defamation case.
Rahul Gandhi’s case was brought before the Supreme Court by senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who urged for an urgent listing.
The Congress leader had recently approached the apex court after the Gujarat High Court declined to stay his conviction in the criminal defamation case, resulting in a two-year jail sentence imposed by the Surat court for his ‘Modi surname’ remark.
As a consequence of his conviction, Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as a Member of Parliament from Kerala’s Wayanad on March 24, following a notification from the Lok Sabha Secretariat.
The conviction led to his disqualification as an MP under the Representation of People Act, as he was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.
The criminal defamation case stemmed from Gandhi’s remarks before the 2019 national polls about the ‘Modi’ surname.
After his conviction in the magisterial court, Gandhi’s plea for a stay on his conviction was rejected by the Sessions court on April 20. Subsequently, he approached the High Court seeking relief.
