In India, the opponent Rahul Gandhi was sentenced to prison for defaming the surname “Modi”.

An Indian court on Thursday (23 March) found opposition leader Rahul Gandhi guilty of defamation over his remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surname. He was sentenced to two years in prison.

The case against Gandhi that brought him this lawsuit dates back to a campaign rally in 2019 where he said: “Why do all thieves have the last name Modi?” » In his speech, he named fugitive Indian diamond tycoon Nirav Modi, banned Indian Premier League boss Lalit Modi and Narendra Modi. The latter is unrelated to the other two.

The defamation case against Gandhi was filed by the leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the western state of Gujarat. The complainant, Purnesh Modi, said that Gandhi’s remarks were “He insulted Modi’s entire community. » Modi is a common surname in the western state of Gujarat.

Rahul Gandhi, who was in court in Surat in the western state of Gujarat – where Mr Modi is from – when the verdict was announced, said his remarks were aimed. “Exposing corruption in the country” and was not directed against any community, according to his lawyer, B.M. According to Mangukia. The latter immediately announced an appeal, Mr. Gandhi not going to jail immediately.

Modi government is ‘cowardly and dictatorial’

Mallikarjun Kharge, president of Mr. Gandhi’s Congress party, called the Modi government “Cowardly and dictatorial.” After the verdict, Rahul Gandhi tweeted: “My religion is based on truth and non-violence. Truth is my God and non-violence is the means to obtain it. »

In power since 2014, Narendra Modi was comfortably re-elected to a second term with his Hindu nationalist party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He is regularly accused of neutralizing opponents with a proliferation of lawsuits.

Rahul Gandhi, 52, from the family of the country’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who gave India three prime ministers, is the subject of two more defamation trials. He is also involved in an alleged money laundering case, which he disputes.