New Delhi [India], July 7 :Congress leader Shashi Tharoor expressed deep disappointment following the Gujarat High Court's decision not to stay the conviction of Rahul Gandhi in the 'Modi surname' defamation case, highlighting that since India's independence in 1947, no one has been convicted of criminal defamation with a two-year sentence, which also carries the risk of disqualification from Parliament.
"I'm truly disappointed by this verdict...," Shashi Tharoor said.
He raised concerns about the severity of the punishment and hoped that the Gujarat High Court would address this issue.
The Gujarat High Court on Friday refused to stay the conviction of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by a lower court in the 'Modi surname' defamation case.
He further said, "Since 1947, no one in our country has been convicted for a criminal defamation case with the 2-year sentence and 2 years is also the minimum sentence required to earn disqualification from the Parliament, therefore this raises some legitimate questions on the eyes of the public and we hope that the Gujarat High Court would see the problem of this particular sentence and the punishment and will find a way of moderating it."
Tharoor emphasized that such actions are detrimental to democracy, as electoral battles should be fought on the basis of principles and policies rather than using legal means to sideline opponents.
"It is important for us to understand that it is not good for our democracy. In a democracy people should fight fair and square on their differences of ideology, principles, and policy but not win elections by putting one of your principles opponents in jail and disqualifying them from representative office, that is simply not healthy for our democracy," Tharoor said.
Congress leader said that they will approach the Supreme Court shortly after the Gujarat High Court today upheld Sessions Court's order denying stay on conviction of the former Wayanad MP.
"I certainly told the Congress party will go to the Supreme Court and will I appeal this that honest truth is that this matter can not be allowed to rest until every possible legal option has been exhausted," Tharoor added.
Gujarat High Court had in May reserved its order on Rahul Gandhi's plea seeking a stay on his conviction in the 2019 'Modi surname' defamation case.
The Congress leader had moved the Gujarat High Court on April 25 challenging the Surat sessions court order which declined to stay his conviction in the criminal defamation case.
The Surat Sessions court had on April 20 rejected Rahul Gandhi's plea seeking a stay on his conviction by the lower court in the criminal defamation case.
In his judgement, Additional sessions judge Robin P Mogera had cited Gandhi's stature as an MP and former chief of the country's second-largest political party and said he should have been more careful.
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