Shiv Sena (UBT) claims SC order staying Rahul Gandhi’s conviction in 2019 defamation case exposes Centre’s vindictive politics

The Shiv Sena (UBT) claimed on Monday that the Supreme Court's decision to stay Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's conviction in a criminal defamation case from 2019 exposed the Union government's vindictive politics.

An editorial in the Sena (UBT) mouthpiece Saamana said Gandhi is expected to give a tough fight to political opponents during the Lok Sabha polls due next year. According to the Marathi daily, Gandhi was convicted by a court in Surat, Gujarat, in the 2019 criminal defamation case for his Modi surname statement and sentenced to two years in prison to prevent him from contesting the Lok Sabha elections.

Supreme Court studied properly the decisions of lower courts over the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as Lok Sabha member and then gave its decision the court’s decision has exposed the vindictive politics of the Union government, the editorial in Saamana claimed. It is clear that Rahul Gandhi would give a tough fight (to political opponents) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and topple the tyrant government in the national capital Delhi, it said.

Gandhi was convicted and sentenced to two-year imprisonment to restrict him from contesting the next Lok Sabha election, it claimed. Purnesh Modi was used as a frontman to file the defamation case (against Gandhi). The SC exposed the lie of the applicant, the editorial said.

The only objective of the (Surat) court was to disqualify Rahul Gandhi, editorial also claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi performed a gimmick by bowing before the Lok Sabha steps (nine years ago), but since then justice, truth, logic and Constitution are defeated on a daily basis.