'Modi Surname' Defamation Case: Rahul Gandhi To Appear Before Patna Court

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is set to appear before the court in Patna in response to a petition filed against him for his remark about the "Modi surname” today. Former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi filed the petition in 2019. Gujarat court sentenced Rahul Gandhi last month for allegations he made during the Congress' election campaign in Kolar in 2019. A municipal court in Gujarat sentenced him to two years in prison. This conviction followed MLA Purnesh Modi's complaint, in which he accused Rahul Gandhi of humiliating the whole Modi community in Kolar with his remarks.

The Gujarat case was filed by BJP MLA Purnesh Modi. In his complaint, Purnesh Modi alleged that Gandhi had said, "How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?"  Rahul Gandhi was convicted under Section 504 of the Indian Criminal Code (IPC) of "intentionally insulting with the purpose to disrupt the peace."

As a result, he was stripped of his Lok Sabha seat and ordered to evacuate his government bungalow. Rahul Gandhi addressed a letter to the deputy secretary of the Lok Sabha secretariat, stating that he will follow the terms of the notification.

The Congress leader will be ineligible to vote for the next eight years unless his conviction is overturned by a higher court. On April 13, Gandhi is set to appear before the Gujarat District and Sessions Court. In this case, the court will hear his bail request. On May 3, he will appear in court again to determine whether the charges against him are maintainable.

Sushil Modi, now a Rajya Sabha Member, claimed that Rahul Gandhi's remarks were an insult to the backward classes and that the Congress will face "revenge" in the future elections. Despite the disqualification, Rahul Gandhi remains defiant, telling a press conference that his tapasya is to work for the people and that he doesn't care if he is permanently disqualified or imprisoned.