The Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi against the Gujarat High Courts decision that rejected his plea seeking a stay on his conviction in the defamation case for his “Modi surname” remark. Gandhi argued that if the judgment is not stayed, it would have a negative impact on free speech and would lead to the stifling of democratic institutions.
In a setback for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, a sessions court in Surat today rejected his plea for stay on his conviction by a Magistrate court in a criminal defamation case against him