NEW DELHI – India’s top opposition politician and Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi has been sentenced to two years in prison for allegedly passing offensive remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surname.
Reports in Indian media said a local court found the 52-year-old leader guilty in the case. The court granted Gandhi bail and revoked the sentence for a month to allow him to appeal in a higher court.
The development comes after the firebrand politician was convicted by the court for comments made in 2019 about the Indian premier, whose regime is infamous for suppressing the vocals.
Rahul got the sentence a year before the upcoming general elections and the critics are linking the two developments.
The contentious ruling stemmed from an election rally in Karnataka in which a Congress leader asked Why do all thieves have Modi as their surname? Naming Narendra Modi with Nirav Modi, and Lalit Modi – a fugitive in India.
Later, a ruling party lawmaker filed a case who accused Congress leader for mocking and defaming the entire Modi community.
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As BJP leaders and activists are thrilled over the ruling, the opposition party announced filing an appeal. Rahul Gandhi has not shared his thoughts but shared Mahatma Gandhi’s quote which said “My religion is based on truth and non-violence. Truth is my God, and non-violence is the means to get it.”
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