Former opposition leader sentenced to 2 years in India
In India, the court sentenced former opposition party leader Rahul Gandhi, a member of the Nehru-Gandhi family, to 2 years in prison for insulting the surname “Modi”, which is also carried by the Indian prime minister.
According to the BBC report, the Gujarat State Court convicted dissident Rahul Gandhi, who was on trial for insulting people with the surname “Modi” during the 2019 election campaign, and sentenced him to 2 years in prison. It was noted that Gandhi has been released on bail and has the right to appeal his conviction.
In a statement made by lawyers for Gandhi, a member of the Indian Congress Party (INC), it was claimed that legal procedures were not followed properly during the trial and that Gandhi was referring to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, not to Purnesh. Modi, and that he should open the case. The INC announced on its social media account that Gandhi will appeal the sentence.
During a rally in the state of Karnataka in 2019, Gandhi cited the examples of fugitive diamond magnate Nirav Modi and former Indian Premier League president Lalit Modi, “Why do thieves often have the last name Modi?” he had used the words.
Purnesh Modi, a lawmaker from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, called Gandhi’s remarks insulting all families bearing the surname “Modi”.
General elections are scheduled for April 2024 in India. (AA)