A Surat court on Monday granted bail to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a criminal defamation case in connection with his remark on ‘Modi surname’. The court suspended Gandhi’s 2-year jail term till the disposal of his appeal. However, the court refused to grant an interim stay on his conviction in the case. His next hearing is scheduled on April 13.

In the first tweet after getting bail, the Congress leader said, “…truth is my weapon, and truth is my support!”

Gandhi’s often repeated ‘Mitrakaal’ dig is aimed at the Centre, alleging that it works to benefit its “crony capitalist friends”.

On Monday, Rahul Gandhi filed an appeal before a sessions court in Gujarat’s Surat city, challenging his conviction in the criminal defamation case.

The former Congress chief was present in the sessions court to file the plea against a metropolitan court’s order sentencing him to two years in jail. Along with the appeal, the Congress leader also filed two applications seeking a stay on his conviction and seeking suspension of his sentence.

On his appeal against conviction, the court said such an order cannot be passed without hearing the other side.

This would mean that Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha membership remains suspended and he will have to vacate the government-allotted house.

Rahul Gandhi’s Show of Force in Surat

Rahul Gandhi was accompanied by his sister Priyanka in Surat. Other Senior Congress leaders, including Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Rajasthan  Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, and Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu are also in Surat with Gandhi. They all reached the Surat district and sessions court on a bus.

The Congress is trying to exert “undue pressure” on the Judiciary, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju claimed on Monday, questioning the plan by members of the opposition party to accompany Rahul Gandhi to a Surat court.

“My point is very simple — why Congress party is trying to put this kind of undue pressure on the Judiciary. There are means and ways to deal with judicial matters. But is this the way?” he quipped.

He wondered whether there has been a case in the past where an entire party is trying to ‘gherao’ a court.

“The ED takes action, they want to gherao ED office. When the CBI takes action, they want to gherao the CBI. When the court gives verdict, they want to take over the court complexes. These kind of activities demean democracy and every Indian must condemn it,” he told reporters in Parliament House complex.

Dubbing the move of Congress leaders to accompany Gandhi to court as “sycophancy of one family” he wondered whether the family was above the country.

Kharge said the decision taken by the party leaders to accompany Gandhi to the court was personal. “Even in a small case, family members join and go to court. Here, it is about an entire party and he (Gandhi) is fighting for the country,” the Congress chief told reporters here.

He said the presence of the party leaders in Surat is not a “show of strength”, but a “symbol of support” for Gandhi.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh took to Twitter to hit back at Rijiju, saying, “The man who threatens the judiciary, judges and ex-judges daily and also distorts history daily talking. Hypocrisy ki koi seema nahin hai Modi Kaal mein (There is no limit to hypocracy in Modi’s rule).”

In view of Rahul Gandhi’s visit to the city, the Surat administration has increased security in the areas where there is a possibility of the Congress leader’s movement.

“Given the presence of Rahul Gandhi in Surat district court the Surat city police have deployed the police force wherever there is a possibility of movement. We will also be starting frisking and checking,” said Sagar Bagmar, DCP Zone-4 Surat.

The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate HH Varma here had on March 23 convicted Gandhi and sentenced him to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his “Modi surname” remarks.

It had held 52-year-old Gandhi guilty under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 and 500.

The court had also granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to appeal in a higher court.

Gandhi was present in the court when it pronounced the verdict in the case.

(With inputs from agencies)