An Indian court Thursday found opposition leader Rahul Gandhi guilty ofdefamation for a 2019 campaign trail remark implying that Prime MinisterNarendra Modi was a criminal.
Modi’s government has been widely accused of using the law to target andsilence critics, and the case in the premier’s home state of Gujarat is oneof several lodged against his chief opponent in recent years.
Gandhi, the leading face of the opposition Congress party, was sentenced totwo years imprisonment but immediately granted bail after his lawyersannounced their intention to appeal.
The case stemmed from a remark made during the 2019 election campaign inwhich the 52-year-old had asked why “all thieves have Modi as (their)common surname”.
His comments were seen as a slur against the prime minister, who went on towin the election in a landslide.
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Members of the government also said the remark was a smear against allthose sharing the Modi surname, which is associated with the lower rungs ofIndia’s traditional caste hierarchy.
“If you are going to insult the entire Modi surname, this is completelydefamatory,” Ravi Shankar Prasad, a lawmaker for the ruling BharatiyaJanata Party (BJP), told reporters.
“There was a proper hearing. He got an opportunity to present his side ofthings,” he added. “The decision has been taken according to the duejudicial process.”
