"Courts should be more concerned": Kapil Sibal on SC staying Rahul Gandhi's conviction
Aug 05, 2023
New Delhi [India], August 5 : As the Supreme Court stayed Rahul Gandhi’s conviction in a 2019 defamation case, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Saturday said that the courts to be more sensitive and concerned while dealing with such petitions.
"Courts whether Trial Courts, High Courts or Supreme court should be a little sensitive and concerned while handling such petitions as this kind of petition is only a political agenda, and the court should not be used in any way for that,” Sibal said while speaking to ANI.
“On 23rd March 2023, I had said the same thing that, why Rahul Gandhi should be given a sentence of 2 years? The Judge would have known that he will lose his membership in the Lok Sabha and this particular conviction was totally wrong,” Sibal added.
In a relief to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the Supreme Court, in an interim order on Friday, stayed his conviction in the criminal defamation case over the 'Modi surname' remark.
Meanwhile, after the verdict, Rahul addressed a press conference at the Congress's national headquarters in Delhi, thanking the people for their love and support and saying "Truth always triumphs".
“Truth always triumphs, if not today then tomorrow or the day after. I thank people for their support,” he said at the press conference in the national capital.
The apex court issued notices to the Gujarat government and the complainant in July on an appeal of the Congress leader challenging the Gujarat High Court order.
The Gujarat High Court, had, in its order earlier, declined to stay his conviction in the criminal defamation case in which Rahul was sentenced to two years in jail by the Surat court over the 'Modi surname' remark.
After his conviction in the case, Gandhi was disqualified as MP from Kerala’s Wayanad on March 24.
Earlier in March, a magisterial court convicted Rahul Gandhi for his ‘Modi’ surname remarks ahead of the 2019 national polls.
