Opposition meet today over RaGa's conviction in Modi surname case
What's the story
Opposition MPs are set to meet on Friday at 10 am regarding the conviction of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a 2019 criminal defamation case by a Surat court. Following the meeting, the Opposition leaders will march from Parliament to Rashtrapati Bhavan at around 11:30 am to mark their protest against what Congress leader Jairam Ramesh called Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dirty politics.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Gandhi now faces disqualification from Parliament as a result of his two-year prison sentence conviction, which he has 30 days to appeal. The verdict came as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was attempting to corner Gandhi over remarks he made in the United Kingdom (UK) about the BJP government's alleged suppression of dissent. Last week, the BJP sought Gandhi's suspension from Parliament.
Case
How come all thieves have Modi surname: Gandhi in 2019
Gandhi has been convicted of defaming the "Modi surname" while addressing a rally in Kolar, Karnataka, before the 2019 General Elections. He had said, "How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?" While the attack was directed at PM Modi, he mentioned fugitive economic offenders Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi to drive his point home.
Details
Have filed a similar case in Patna: BJP's Sushil Modi
The case against Gandhi was filed based on a complaint by BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister, Purnesh Modi, who claimed that through his remark, Gandhi had insulted the entire Modi community. BJP MP from Bihar, Sushil Kumar Modi welcomed the verdict, saying he had filed a similar case in Patna. Meanwhile, the Congress said it will fight the case legally and politically.
Information
There isn't any community named Modi: Gandhi
Gandhi earlier submitted before a magisterial court in June 2021 that he was just trying to highlight the misdeeds of PM Modi. He said he did not intend to defame any particular community and added that, to his knowledge, there was no community named Modi.
Support
PM Modi also commented on Nehru surname: AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj
While most Opposition parties kept mum over Gandhi's conviction, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj came out in his support, stating that it was unfair to single Gandhi out as PM Modi had also commented on the Nehru surname. Keeping party differences aside, he said the message was loud and clear that anyone questioning the government will be implicated in false cases.