‘Dirty display of childish arrogance’: Purnesh Modi’s reply to Rahul Gandhi’s plea

Gujarat BJP leader Purnesh Modi in his reply to Rahul Gandhi’s plea against his conviction in the Modi surname case said Rahul Gandhi is a repeat offender and the way he appeared to file his appeal with a cavalcade of party leaders showed “extraordinary arrogance”.

It was a “very dirty display of childish arrogance and an immature act of bringing pressure upon the court,” the reply said. Rahul Gandhi’s two-year sentence was suspended by a sessions court early this months and Rahul Gandhi was granted bail till April 13. The sessions court is scheduled to hear Rahul Gandhi’s application today.

“The accused is in the habit of making such defamatory and irresponsible statements which may either defame others or may hurt the feelings of others, in the name of freedom of speech and political criticism and dissent,” Purnesh Modi said in his affidavit.

Citing 11 cases of criminal defamation and one of “promoting enmity between different groups”, Purnesh Modi said the accused is a “repetitive offender (sic)”.

“The accused, in no uncertain terms, endorses the defamatory statement on the public platform even after the judgment of conviction and sentence. The accused is not only admitting the defamatory statement but capitalising on the same,” Purnesh Modi said.

Condemning Rahul Gandhi’s ‘show of strength’ in Surat while filing the appeal, Purnesh Modi said, “The accused, who was an MP while committing the offence, was/ and still is responsible for making laws applicable in the country. If such MP violates any law, it becomes a more serious concern for the court and the society.”

Rahul Gandhi was convicted by a Surat court on March 23 and was sentenced to two years in jail for his 2019 remark ‘how come all thieves have Modi as common surname’. As the conviction, followed by Rahul Gandhi’s suspension from the Lok Sabha, became a political row, Rahul Gandhi filed an appeal against the verdict and prayed for a stay of the conviction. The court granted Rahul Gandhi bail till April 13.