The Surat Sessions Court began hearing on Thursday (13) on a plea made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi seeking a stay on his two-year jail sentence in a defamation case related to his "Modi surname" remark.
BJP MLA Purnesh Modi, who filed the complaint, has opposed Gandhi's plea in court, stating that the Congress leader is a "repetitive offender" who habitually makes defamatory statements.
Arguments were presented by both sides on Thursday in the court of Additional Sessions Judge RP Mogera.
The lawyers representing Gandhi sought a stay on his conviction, and the court heard their arguments first. Following this, Purnesh’s lawyer, Ketan Reshamwala, entered the courtroom and presented their objections and arguments against the plea for a stay on conviction.
On March 23, 2023, a metropolitan magistrate's court in Surat sentenced Gandhi to two years in jail for his comment made during an election rally on April 13, 2019, where he said, "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?"
An appeal and a request for a stay on the conviction have been filed by Gandhi before Judge Mogera in response to the verdict. Gandhi has labeled his conviction as "erroneous" and patently perverse in his appeal.
(With inputs from PTI)
6.9K views · 135 reactions | I’m genuinely shocked and saddened by reports that Will Jackson, Conservative candidate for North Harrow in the elections next month, has told British-born Asian MPs like Rishi Sunak and Shabana Mahmood that they are “not British” and should “go back to Pakistan,” He also suggested figures like Anthony Joshua and Dua Lipa aren’t British.I have raised this important matter in Parliament today, because there is no place for racism in our politics.I’m proud of Harrow’s diverse, close-knit communities. Every candidate should seek to unite people, not divide them.This matter must be taken seriously. I welcome the Conservative Party’s statement that Mr Jackson’s comments are wholly unacceptable and their decision to suspend him.But serious questions remain about how he was selected as a candidate in the first place, and why he was considered fit to represent our community.https://bylinetimes.com/2026/04/13/conservative-candidate-tells-british-mps-to-go-back-to-pakistan/🎥 👇 | Gareth Thomas MP 
