The Congress in Kerala will on Thursday hold a state-wide protest against the Surat district court's verdict convicting party MP Rahul Gandhi in a criminal defamation case over his alleged "Modi surname" remark in 2019.
"We will take to the streets gagging our mouths all across the state this evening," a party source said. Gandhi is a Lok Sabha member from the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala.
According to the source, the protest is against the manner in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is curbing the freedom of expression. All democracy-loving people have been requested to join them.
We will appeal in higher courts: Kharge
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said on Thursday that they will appeal in higher courts against the conviction of Rahil Gandhi.
In a tweet (in Hindi) he said, "Coward, dictator BJP government is rattled by Rahul Gandhi and the opposition because we are exposing their bad deeds by demanding JPC. Modi government has gone politically bankrupt. It sends ED, police and lodges cases against speeches.
Joining Kerala Congress leaders' move, Maharashtra Congress said it is planning protests against jail sentence for Rahul Gandhi.
Congress leaders led by state President Nana Patole, Mumbai President Bhai Jagtap, former Chief Ministers Prithviraj Chavan and Ashok Chavan, Vijay Wadettiwar, Sunil Kedar, Naseem Khan, Charan Singh Sapra, Atul Londhe, legislators and other joined the protests.
They carried placards and posters supporting Rahul Gandhi and raised slogans against the Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre, and said the actions are being taken against him under 'pressures'.
"Rahul Gandhi had spoken against corruption and highlighted the role of fugitives like Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi... It's a fact that they ran away from India after looting public money through the banks," said Patole.
He accused the Centre of pressure tactics as "its afraid of the growing influence of Rahul Gandhi, the fear of defeat and because of that, they are trying to trap him".
He warned that if it is a crime to speak against the scamsters like Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi, then the Congress will intensify its protests by taking to the streets and holding 'jail-bharo' agitations all over Maharashtra.
Ashok Chavan said it is clear that the BJP is worried over the growing influence of the Congress all over India after Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra and now they are retaliating with such action against Opposition leaders.
Prithviraj Chavan said that the action against Rahul Gandhi has been taken maliciously, and that too from Gujarat, and said the Congress will move the Supreme Court to challenge the Surat Court verdict.
It was the Surat district court, Chief Judicial Magistrate H.H. Varma who sentenced Gandhi to two years in jail and also imposed a fine of Rs 15,000 after finding him guilty.
However, on Gandhi's plea, his sentence was suspended and a bail granted to enable him to move an appeal against his conviction within 30 days.
Gandhi has maintained that there was no mala fide intention on his part when he made the statement in question.
See: "My religion is Truth": Rahul Gandhi after Surat Court sentenced him to 2 years in jail
