Cong leader threatens to "chop off" judge's tongue who sentenced RaGa; booked

DINDIGUL: A Congress leader in Tamil Nadu's Dindigul district has been booked for allegedly threatened to chop off the tongue of the judge who delivered the verdict against Rahul Gandhi in a 2019 criminal defamation case.

The Dindigul Police on Saturday registered a case against Congress Dindigul district president, Manikandan, over his controversial remark against the judge who delivered the verdict against Rahul Gandhi.

"A case has been registered against Congress leader Manikandan under three sections of IPC including 153B for his remarks. An investigation is underway," officials said. Manikandan made the remark during a protesting against Rahul Gandhi's disqualification in Tamil Nadu's Dindigul on April 6. "When we will come to power, we will chop off the tongue of the judge who delivered the verdict to send our leader Rahul Gandhi to jail," Manikandan said.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi lost membership of the Lower House of Parliament after a Surat court convicted and sentenced him in a 2019 criminal defamation case. The case pertained to a remark he made using the surname 'Modi' while addressing a campaign event ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The matter pertains to Rahul's remarks at a rally in Karnataka's Kolar in April 2019, Rahul, in a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said, "How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?".

Following his conviction, Rahul was disqualified as an MP on March 24, as per a Supreme Court ruling in 2013. Under the ruling, any MP or MLA stands to be disqualified automatically if convicted and sentenced to 2 years or more. The Lok Sabha Secretariat on March 27 issued a notice to Rahul Gandhi, asking him to vacate his government bungalow following his disqualification as an MP.

As per the notice, the allotment of his government bungalow will be cancelled with effect from April 24. In a letter to Deputy Secretary, MS Branch, Lok Sabha Secretariat dated March 28, Rahul Gandhi said that he owes the happy memories of his time spent at the bungalow to the mandate of the people. "As an elected Member of Lok Sabha over last four terms, it is the mandate of the people to which I owe the happy memories of my time spent here. Without prejudice to my rights, I will, of course, abide by the details contained in your letter," Rahul Gandhi wrote.