Congress to move SC after HC's refusal to stay Rahul's conviction

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Friday said it will move the Supreme Court against the Gujarat High Court order refusing to stay Rahul Gandhi's conviction in a defamation case.

The party said the verdict redoubles its resolve to pursue the matter further and it will fight the battle both legally and politically.

In Kozhikode, AICC general secretary, Organisation, KC Venugopal said at a party programme, "There is one more option before us... the Supreme Court. Let's see. The Congress party will seek that option too".

The Gujarat High Court on Friday dismissed Gandhi's plea seeking a stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remark.

"We will study the Gujarat HC verdict on Sh. @RahulGandhi ji’s conviction and explore all available legal options. Rahul ji is a fierce voice that takes the Modi government head on. No force can silence him, the truth will triumph and justice will ultimately prevail. Every patriotic Indian is in support of Rahul ji in this fight," Venugopal said on Twitter.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said no party leader or worker is afraid of BJP's "political conspiracy".

He alleged that the BJP has used "lies" as part of a political conspiracy to get Rahul Gandhi suspended from Parliament, asserting that the Congress leader has been fighting for truth and will continue his fight.

"Shri Rahul Gandhi has always fought for the truth, and will continue to fight in the future. The truth is that fugitives like Lalit Modi, Nirav Modi, Mehul "Bhai", Vijay Mallya, Jatin Mehta, under the supervision of the Modi government fled the country and reached abroad suspiciously after taking public money.

"The BJP freed them, but used lies as part of a political conspiracy, put Mr. Rahul Gandhi in the dock and got him suspended from Parliament," Kharge said in a tweet in Hindi.

In BJP's rule, firstly the corrupt people run away, and on the other hand Modi ji's party plays the game of "grabbing power by washing those accused of corruption in its washing machine as part of BJP's Swachh Bharat Abhiyan", the Congress chief claimed.

"The country is now well aware of Modi ji's double standards on corruption. None of the Congress leaders, none of our workers are afraid of this political conspiracy. We will fight both the political and the legal battle. Satyamev Jayate," he said on Twitter.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the reasoning of the judge is being studied and the matter will be taken up further.

"The judgement only redoubles our resolve to pursue the matter further," he said on Twitter.

"We have noted the verdict of the single-judge bench of the Gujarat High Court on the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi. The reasoning of the Hon'ble judge is being studied, as it should be, and Dr. Abhishek Singhvi will be briefing the media in detail at 3 pm," he said.

AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said Rahul is fighting the battle for truth and people's interests and an 'arrogant regime' is using all the tricks to deter him.

In a long Twitter post in Hindi soon after the Gujarat High Court order, Priyanka Gandhi quoted the poem "samar shesh hai...(battle is yet to be over)" by Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' and launched a scathing attack on the Modi government.

"Rahul Gandhi is fighting the battle for truth and people's interests against this "arrogant regime", she said. She alleged that the "arrogant regime" wants that questions relating to people's interests that help improve their lives should not be raised.

"The arrogant regime is trying every trick in the book to suppress the truth, it is adopting all means -- 'saam, daam, dand, bhed, chal, kapat (money power, punishment, discrimination, deceit)' -- to distract from questions related to the interests of the public," she said.

Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala termed it a "Travesty of justice".

"Instead of punishing 'Bank Fraudsters' like Nirav Modi, Ami Modi, Neeshal Modi, Mehul Choksi and ilk, the 'messenger' exposing the deceit and swindling of public money is being punished," Surjewala said in a tweet.

He said Rahul Gandhi has chosen the path of truth, of righteousness, of fearlessness and of seeking accountability from those in citadels of power.

"We will tread upon the path of truth and righteousness, come what may... Satyamev Jayate !" the Congress leader said. In another tweet, he said, "As Sh. Rahul Gandhi remains 'disqualified as an MP' for raising the issue of 'Economic Fugitives and Bank Fraudsters' please punish him for 'seeking accountability of those in power in Delhi'....BUT... let also the Supreme Court and High courts seek answers of Modi govt on the bank frauds of Rs 98,952 cr in last five years alone, yr 2017-18 to 2021-22".

While dismissing Rahul Gandhi's plea, Justice Hemant Prachchhak noted that the Congress leader is already facing 10 cases across India, adding the order of the lower court was "just, proper and legal" in convicting the Congress leader. The court noted that there is no reasonable ground to stay the conviction. A metropolitan magistrate's court in Surat on March 23 had sentenced Gandhi to two years in jail after convicting him under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 and 500 (criminal defamation) in a 2019 case filed by BJP Gujarat MLA Purnesh Modi.