Congress To Hold Protest Against Rahul Gandhi's Conviction Today At Delhi's Vijay Chowk

The Congress, upset with Rahul Gandhi's conviction, has decided to hold a march against the verdict by the Gujarat court at Delhi's Vijay Chowk on Friday (March 24).

Pic Credit: ANI

New Delhi: After Rahul Gandhi was convicted in a 2019 criminal defamation case by a Surat court on Thursday (March 23), the Congress and several other Opposition parties came out in overwhelming support of him. The Congress, upset with the verdict, has decided to hold a march against the verdict by the Gujarat court at Delhi's Vijay Chowk on Friday (March 24). 

Rahul Gandhi convicted

Gandhi was found guilty in a defamation case over his remarks on the 'Modi' surname. During a rally ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, he had allegedly said, "How come all thieves have Modi in their surnames." He was sentenced to two years in prison in the case but was later released on bail. 

Noted lawyer and former Union Minister Kapil Sibal has said that Congress MP stands automatically disqualified as a Member of Parliament after his conviction by a court in Gujarat’s Surat in a criminal defamation case.

In reaction to the verdict, Congress said it will fight the case legally and politically. The party chief Mallikarjun Kharge held a meeting with senior leaders and MPs at his residence regarding the matter soon after the verdict.

Congress plans protests against the verdict 

AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the party will hold a meeting with other opposition leaders in the morning and would stage a protest march from Parliament House to Vijay Chowk, reported PTI.

In addition to a protest march in the national capital, Congress chiefs in other states may also undertake protest marches against the verdict and Rahul Gandhi's conviction.

"We will hold protests across Delhi and in other states on Monday on this issue. The matter is just not a legal issue, but also a serious political issue linked with the future of democracy in the country," Jairam Ramesh said as quoted by PTI. 

"This is another major example of the Modi government's politics of vendetta, threat, and intimidation. We will fight it legally as well as politically. We will not bow down or be intimidated by such politics and will turn this into a major political issue," he further said.