"This fight is against Mitrakaal": Rahul Gandhi after getting bail from Surat sessions court in criminal defamation case

New Delhi [India], April 3 (ANI):  Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was granted bail by a sessions court in Surat on Monday following his appeal against conviction in a criminal defamation case, said he was fighting against the “mitrakaal” and in his fight to save democracy, the truth was his weapon and support.

“This is a fight against ‘mitrakaal’ and to save democracy. In this struggle, truth is my weapon and support,”  Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

The court in Gujarat’s Surat granted bail till the disposal of the appeal to Rahul Gandhi in the defamation case over his ‘Modi surname’ remark made during a political campaign in Kolar in Karnataka in April 2019.

The court of Additional Sessions Judge R P Mogera said it will hear his plea for suspension of Rahul Gandhi’s conviction on April 13 and issued notice to Purnesh Modi, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA, the complainant in the case.

The court allowed the application, saying, "pendency of appeal, the sentence imposed upon applicant accused on March 23 by Chief Judicial Magistrate Surat here by suspended and appellant shall remain on bail

Rahul Gandhi appeared in the court today and filed an appeal against his March 23 conviction.

The former MP from Wayanad was convicted and sentenced to two years in hail by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate H H Varma on March 23 in the  criminal defamation case. The court sentenced him to two-years imprisonment but suspended the jail term for 30 days.

“Appeal was filed today and Court granted him (Rahul Gandhi) fresh bail on Rs 15,000. Now, the further hearing of the matter would be on April 13. Complainant has to file his reply by April 10. That is all the procedure that was adapted today. The further hearing would be held on April 13..," said  Gaurav Pandya, a member of Congress legal team.

After the Surat court's verdict, Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as MP from Lok Sabha.

Senior leaders including chief ministers of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh Surat to accompany Rahul Gandhi to the Gujarat court.  Rahul Gandhi’s sister and party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accompaniedhim to the court.  

The defamation case was filed by Purnesh Modi.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra held a press conference earlier today and lashed out at Rahul Gandhi.

He alleged that the Congress leader was going with his family and some chief ministers "with pomp and show" to "repeat and add to the insult" of the OBC community.

"Rahul Gandhi, his family members, CMs Ashok Gehlot & Bhupesh Baghel are going to Surat & will be creating mayhem in the name of appealing (against the two-year sentence) verdict. What's the need for this ruckus?" Patra asked.

"Rahul Gandhi, is it not true that you used a casteist remark against the OBC community? You called them a thief and abused them. You are going to Surat with your family and some chief ministers with pomp and show. Do you want to pressurise the judiciary? Appealing is a democratic right. You are going to augment the insult that you have thrown at the OBC community by going and staging this kind of protest in Surat. Are you trying to pressurise the Indian judiciary through these gimmicks of yours?" Patra said.

The BJP leader alleged that Rahul Gandhi was not ready to apologise to the lower court for his remark.

Rahul Gandhi has attacked the Modi government following HindenBurg-Adani row. (ANI)