NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – An Indian high court rejected an appeal by opposition leader Rahul Gandhi today to suspend his conviction in a defamation case, quashing for now his hope of returning to parliament and contesting national elections due next year.
Abhishek Singhvi, Gandhi’s lawyer and spokesperson for his Congress party, called the judgment “legally wrong” and said he would soon appeal against it in the Supreme Court, the last option.
Gandhi was convicted in March in a case brought by Purnesh Modi, a Gujarat state lawmaker from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), over comments he made in 2019 deemed insulting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other people surnamed Modi.
“How come all thieves have the name Modi?” Gandhi had asked in an election campaign speech, referring to two fugitive businessmen, both surnamed Modi.
Rahul Gandhi, 53, scion of a dynasty that has given India three prime ministers, was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment but the jail term was put on hold and he was given bail.
He also lost his parliamentary seat following the conviction, since lawmakers sentenced to jail terms of two years or more are automatically disqualified.
They are also barred from running for election for six years after the end of the two-year jail term.
Gandhi has separately challenged the conviction in a district court, which has yet to hear the case.
Justice Hemant Prachchhak of the High Court in the western state of Gujarat said in his order on Friday that a stay of conviction is not a rule but an exemption to be resorted to in rare cases.
“The refusal of stay of conviction would not in any way result in injustice to the applicant,” the judge said.
“There is no reasonable ground to stay the conviction of the applicant in view of the facts and circumstances of the case.”
There was no immediate response from Gandhi regarding the verdict.
His lawyer Singhvi said Friday’s judgment did not address the main issues he raised to question the conviction.
