An Indian high court rejected the plea made by opposition leader Rahul Gandhi to suspend his conviction in a defamation case, dashing his immediate hopes of reentering parliament and participating in the upcoming national elections next year. Abhishek Singhvi, Gandhi’s lawyer and spokesperson for the Congress party, expressed disagreement with the verdict, labeling it as “legally wrong” and stating their intention to appeal to the Supreme Court, their final recourse.
Gandhi faced conviction in March following a defamation lawsuit filed by Purnesh Modi, a lawmaker from Gujarat representing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). His comments during a 2019 election campaign, deemed derogatory towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others with the surname Modi, led to his conviction. Referring to two fugitive businessmen also named Modi, Gandhi had questioned, “How come all thieves have the name Modi?” Although he received a two-year prison sentence, the jail term was suspended, and he was granted bail.
The conviction resulted in Gandhi losing his parliamentary seat, as lawmakers sentenced to imprisonment for two or more years are automatically disqualified. Furthermore, they are prohibited from contesting elections for six years following the completion of their jail term. Gandhi has separately challenged the conviction in a district court, which has yet to hear the case.
Justice Hemant Prachchhak of the Gujarat High Court stated in his ruling on Friday that a stay of conviction is not a standard practice but an exception reserved for rare instances. During the court proceedings, Singhvi argued that the offense for which Gandhi was convicted is not “grave,” and the disqualification from elections for eight years is tantamount to a “near-permanent” exclusion in politics.
Gandhi’s disqualification prompted India’s major opposition parties to set aside their differences and collaborate to mount a united challenge against the BJP in the 2024 national elections. Purnesh Modi, the BJP lawmaker who filed the defamation case against Gandhi, welcomed the court’s decision, urging Gandhi to reflect upon it and demonstrate goodwill.
