While observind that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has to be careful in his public speeches, the Supreme Court on Thursday afternoon, stayed the order of the lower court conviting him for two years of imprisonment which resulted in his disqualification from being a member of Lok Sabha. It was a big relief for the emabttle Congress leader. Rahul Gandhi was convicted in the 2019 criminal defamation case against him over his Modi surname remark in one of his election meetings in Karnataka.
“No doubt that the utteraces by the petitioner (Rahul Gandhi) were not in good taste. The petitioner ought to have been more careful in making speeches. The remification of disqualitification not just affect the right of the individual but also the electorate.The trial judge has awarded the maximum sentence. If the sentence was a day lesser, the disqualification would have attracted. No reason has been given by the trial court for imposing maximum sentence, the order of conviction needs to be stayed pending final adjudication” the apex court said.
The three-judge Supreme Court bench of Justice BR Gavai, PS Narasimha and Sanjay Kumar stayed the order of conviction pending final adjudication.
The SC ruling in the defamation case was ‘a victory of love over hatred,’ said the Congress party in a tweet. Rahul Gandhi commented whatever transpired in judiciary his duty remains the same.
