Lalit Modi threatens to sue Rahul Gandhi in UK

NEW DELHI: Days after Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Lok Sabha following his conviction in a 2019 criminal defamation case, Lalit Modi, the former chief of the Indian Premier League (IPL), took a dig at him by saying that unlike the Congress leader, he has not been convicted in any case.

In a series of tweets, Lalit Modi, who lives in London since 2010 after facing allegations of financial irregularities in the IPL, said, "I see just about every Tom dick and gandhi associates again and again saying i am a fugitive of justice. Why? How? And when was i to date ever convicted of same. unlike #Papu aka @RahulGandhi now an ordinary citizen saying it and it seems one and all oposition leaders have nothing else to do so they too are either ill informed or just vendetta prone."

He added: "I have decided to take @RahulGandhi to court in UK right away. I am sure he will have to come-up with some solid evidence. I look forward to seeing him make a complete #fool of himself. #rkdhawan #sitaramkesri #motilalvohra #satishsharna all bag men of #gandhi family. Not to forget #naraindutttewari. How do u all have overseas assets. Ask #mrkamalnath."

Lalit Modi also said that he can send addresses and photos to support his claims.

"#Gandhifamily who have made it as if they are the entitled ones to rule our country. Yes, i will return as soon as u pass stringent liable laws," he said.

Lalit Modi also said that nothing has been proven against him, adding that "What is clearly proven is I created the greatest #sporting event in this world that has generated close to 100 billion dollars".

Last week, a court in Surat had found Rahul Gandhi guilty and sentenced him to two years in prison in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his remarks about Prime Minister Modi's surname. The Congress leader, however, was granted bail and his sentence was suspended for 30 days to allow him to appeal the Surat court verdict.

The case was filed against Rahul Gandhi by BJP MLA and ex-Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi for saying "how come all thieves have the common surname Modi" while campaigning in Karnataka ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

A day later, Rahul Gandhi was suspended from the Lok Sabha following his conviction in the criminal defamation case. The Lok Sabha Secretariat also declared his constituency in Kerala's Wayanad as vacant.

According to the Representation of the People Act, a lawmaker sentenced to imprisonment for two years or more shall be disqualified "from the date of such conviction" and remain disqualified for another six years after serving prison time.