Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury: Modi Surname Defamation Case a Ploy to Quiet Rahul Gandhi

Speaking on the ‘Modi Surname’ defamation case on Friday, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury claimed that the country and the world are aware that this was done to keep Rahul Gandhi out of the Parliament on the orders and guidelines of the ruling party.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, a leader of the Congress, declared, “The world and the country know that this was done on the orders and directions of the ruling party to shut Rahul Gandhi in the Parliament. What did Rahul Gandhi do wrong, for which he will apologise?Rahul Gandhi is not the type of person to apologies. This isn’t because he’s arrogant, but rather because he hasn’t done anything wrong.

Rahul Gandhi, the head of the Congress, maintained his innocence before the Supreme Court earlier on Wednesday and refused to apologise over the Modi last name dispute.

Gandhi claimed in his affidavit that he was being “arm-twisted” or pressed into making an apology. According to Rahul Gandhi, the Congress leader urged the Supreme Court that it was a “gross abuse of the judicial process” to force an apology by invoking the criminal justice system and its penalties under the Representation of the Peoples Act. The temporary relief granted to Congressman Rahul Gandhi from appearing before a local court here in a defamation complaint regarding his alleged remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018 was extended by the Bombay High Court on Wednesday till September 26.

Gandhi’s “commander-in-thief” remark in reference to the Rafale fighter jet purchase, according to the complaint, who claims to be a BJP employee, amounted to slander. Rahul Gandhi had appealed Purnesh Modi’s conviction for criminal defamation, and Purnesh Modi had asked the Supreme Court to deny Rahul Gandhi’s request. Gandhi, according to Purnesh Modi, insulted everyone with the surname Modi, especially those from Gujarat’s “Modh Vanik” caste.

According to report, the Supreme Court requested responses to Gandhi’s plea from Purnesh Modi and the state administration on June 21. Rahul Gandhi stated in his July 15 appeal that the July 7 judgement would significantly restrict freedom of speech, expression, thinking, and statement if it was not postponed.

Rahul Gandhi was stripped of his MP status on March 24 and given a two-year prison sentence after being found guilty of criminal defamation by a Gujarat court for remarks he made regarding the Modi surname. Rahul Gandhi’s petition, which sought a stay of his conviction, was denied by the high court, according to PTI. The court stressed the necessity of “purity in politics” at the moment. Gandhi might have been able to get his seat in the Lok Sabha back if the stay had been granted. However, both the sessions court and the Gujarat High Court rejected his appeals for relief.