UN aware of RaGa's jail sentence in 2019 defamation case
What's the story
Farhan Haq, the Deputy Spokesman for United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said that the organization is aware of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's two-year jail sentence, reported PTI. Responding to a question at a press briefing on Thursday, Haq said, "We understand that his [Gandhi's] party does plan to appeal the decision. That's as much as I can say at this stage."
Verdict
Gandhi found guilty in 2019 defamation case
The Congress leader was sentenced to a two-year prison term after he was found guilty in a criminal defamation case over his comments about PM Narendra Modi's surname in 2019. He is currently out on bail. Notably, Gandhi was prosecuted for his remark, "How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?"
More information
Gandhi disqualified as member of Lok Sabha
On Friday, Gandhi was disqualified as a member of Lok Sabha following the court's verdict. According to the official order, Gandhi stands disqualified from the House from the date of his conviction i.e March 23, 2023. The order invoked the provisions of Article 102(1)(e) of the Indian Constitution, read with Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 to make the decision.