Rahul meets Sonia ahead of Surat court appearance tomorrow

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday met his mother and former party president Sonia Gandhi ahead of his appearance in a Surat court to appeal against his conviction in a defamation case tomorrow.

Rahul met Sonia Gandhi at a hotel in the national capital for more than 1.5 hours.

He was accompanied by his brother-in-law Robert Vadra. According to Congress sources, "Rahul Gandhi is likely to travel to Surat, Gujarat tomorrow as an appeal will be moved in the Sessions court there against his conviction and two-year-sentence in defamation case."

Former MP from Wayanad was sentenced to a two-year jail term in a criminal defamation case and subsequently lost his Lok Sabha membership.

The defamation case was filed against Gandhi by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi for saying "How come all thieves have the common surname Modi?" Gandhi also faces another defamation case filed by former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi for his 2019 remarks.

A Patna court has reportedly directed the Congress leader to appear before it on April 12 in connection with the case.

After the disqualification of Rahul's membership from the Lok Sabha, the Congress has been vocal in protests all over the country.

The grand old party has been making an effort to rally like-minded Opposition players around it in the wake of Rahul's loss membership of the Lower House.

Rahul's disqualification is the latest in a series of flashpoints between the Congress and the ruling BJP, with a united Opposition calling it a ploy to divert public attention from the Adani issue.