Rahul moves SC against conviction in defamation case

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi approached the Supreme Court on Saturday, challenging the Gujarat high court order that refused to put on hold his conviction and a two-year jail term in a criminal defamation case.

- Utkarsh Anand

The appeal has been filed exactly a week after the high court dealt a blow to Gandhi's endeavour to revive his Lok Sabha membership, ruling that the Congress leader "breached modesty" and that his offence involved "moral turpitude". The appeal was filed on Saturday morning, and it is yet to be assigned a date of hearing. Gandhi's lawyers are expected to mention the appeal for an early hearing next week.

Gandhi urged the top court to immediately stay his conviction to enable him to regain his MP status, arguing that the conviction order would lead to throttling of free speech, free expression, free thought, and free statement. "It would contribute to the systematic, repetitive emasculation of democratic institutions and the consequent strangulation of democracy which would be gravely detrimental to the political climate and future of India."