'Truth Can't Be Long Hidden': Priyanka Gandhi After SC Stays Conviction Of Rahul In Defamation Case

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the conviction of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the defamation case over his 'Modi surname' remark.

File Photo (ANI)

New Delhi: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday hailed the Supreme Court ruling staying the conviction of her brother Rahul Gandhi in a 2019 defamation case, and invoked a quote by Gautama Buddha that 'truth can't be long hidden'.

"Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth," she said in a tweet and thanked the apex court for giving a 'fair' decision.

"Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth”

~Gautama Buddha

माननीय उच्चतम न्यायालय को न्यायपूर्ण फैसला देने के लिए धन्यवाद।

सत्यमेव जयते। — Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) August 4, 2023

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh also said the Supreme Court judgment is a strong vindication of truth and justice.

"Despite the relentless efforts of the BJPs machinery, Rahul Gandhi has refused to bend, break or bow, choosing instead to place his faith in the judicial process," he said on Twitter.

"Let this be a lesson to the BJP and its acolytes: you can do your absolute worst but we will not back down. We will continue to expose and call out your failures as a Government and as a party. We will continue to uphold our Constitutional ideals and repose faith in our institutions which you so desperately want to destroy. Satyameva Jayate!" Ramesh added.

The Supreme Court judgment is a strong vindication of truth and justice.

Despite the relentless efforts of the BJPs machinery, @RahulGandhi has refused to bend, break or bow, choosing instead to place his faith in the judicial process.

Let this be a lesson to the BJP and its… — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) August 4, 2023

SC stays Rahul Gandhi's conviction in 2019 'Modi surname' defamation case

The SC on Friday stayed the conviction of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a 2019 defamation case over his Modi surname remark. A three-judge bench of Justices B R Gavai, P S Narasimha and Sanjay Kumar said there is no doubt that the utterances were not in good taste and that a person in public life is expected to exercise caution while making public speeches.

"No reason has been given by the trial judge for imposing maximum sentence, the order of conviction needs to be stayed pending final adjudication," the bench said.

The top court was hearing a plea by Gandhi challenging the Gujarat High Court verdict which dismissed his plea seeking a stay on his conviction in a defamation case over his "Modi surname" remark.

Former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi had filed a criminal defamation case in 2019 against Gandhi over his "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?" remark made during an election rally in Kolar in Karnataka on April 13, 2019.

Rahul Gandhi says conviction 'unsustainable'

In an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court, Rahul Gandhi had said that Purnesh Modi has in his reply used 'slanderous' terms such as 'arrogant' for him only because he has refused to apologise. The Congress leader once again refused to apologise for his remark that led to his disqualification as an MP but urged the Supreme Court to stay his conviction in the criminal defamation case stemming from his comment, asserting he is 'not guilty'.

"Using the criminal process and the consequences under the Representation of People Act to arm-twist the Petitioner into apologising for no fault is a gross abuse of the judicial process and ought not to be countenanced by this Court... The petitioner maintains and has always maintained that he is not guilty of offence and that the conviction is unsustainable and if he had to apologise and compound the offence, he would have done it much earlier," Gandhi said in the affidavit.

Rahul Gandhi, who was disqualified as MP from Kerala's Wayanad, submitted he has an 'exceptional' case considering the offence was 'trivial', and the irreparable harm that accrues to him having been disqualified as a lawmaker.

"On the other hand, there is no prejudice caused at all to the complainant. It is therefore prayed for that the conviction of Rahul Gandhi be stayed, enabling him to participate in the ongoing sittings of the Lok Sabha and the sessions thereafter," he said in the affidavit.

The former Congress chief claimed there is no community or 'samaj' on record going by the name 'Modi' and hence, the offence of defaming the Modi community as a whole does not arise.

"There is no Modi samaj or community established on record and there are only Modi Vanika Samaj or Modh Ghanchi Samaj existing... He (the complainant) has also admitted that the Modi surname falls under various other castes. There is also the admission that Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi and Mehul Choksi all do not fall within the same caste," the affidavit said.

Earlier, Purnesh Modi had sought the dismissal of Gandhi's appeal against his conviction in the criminal defamation case, saying he has defamed all those bearing the Modi surname, particularly people belonging to the 'Modh Vanik' caste of Gujarat.

On June 21, the top court had sought responses from Modi and the state government on Gandhi's appeal.

In his appeal filed on July 15, Gandhi said if the judgment is not stayed, it would lead to the throttling of free speech, expression, thought, and statement.

It is notable that the high court had dismissed his petition for a stay on conviction, observing that 'purity in politics' is the need of the hour.