Centre scared of Rahul Gandhi, Sanjay Raut says after SC stays Cong leader’s conviction in defamation case

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said the Centre is scared of Rahul Gandhi, after the Supreme Court stayed the Congress leader's conviction in the Modi surname defamation case citing lack of reasons for awarding him punishment."Surat Court convicted him and within 24 hours the Lok Sabha speaker disqualified him, but now Supreme Court has stayed the conviction. His membership, however, has not been reinstated. I.N.D.I.A parties will meet tomorrow and chalk out the strategy," he said.

The third meeting of the 26-party opposition coalition, INDIA, will be held in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1 as decided during a meeting of the leaders from opposition parties in Mumbai on Saturday. Key alliance leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray and chief ministers of five states are expected to attend the 2-day meeting that will be hosted by thr Shiv Sena (UBT). Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar chaired a meeting of THE Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) constituents at Nehru Centre on Saturday afternoon to discuss the preparations for the third meeting of the INDIA coalition. A committee of five leaders each from three MVA constituents has been constituted to look after the organisation of the meeting to be held at Grand Hyatt in Santacruz. After the dinner to all the key leaders from 26 opposition parties on September 31, the meetings will be held on September 1 followed by a press conference in the evening, said Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena (UBT) member of Parliament (MP)