Modi surname row: ‘Won’t apologise’, Rahul Gandhi tells SC

new DelHi:

Congress leader and Former MP Rahul Gandhi reiterated before the Supreme Court on Wednesday that he is not guilty of criminal defamation for his comment, “All thieves have Modi surname.” Rahul stated that he would not apologize for his statement and that if he wanted to compound the offense, he could have done so much earlier.

Gandhi’s affidavit to the Supreme Court accused plaintiff Purnesh Modi of using slanderous language like ‘arrogant’ to characterize the former Congress head solely because he refused to apologize.Gandhi, filing an affidavit before the top court said that he has always maintained that he is not guilty of the offence and that the “conviction is unsustainable” and if he had to apologise and compound the offence, “he would have done it much earlier”. The complainant, Gujarat BJP MLA Purnesh Ishwarbhai Modi, in his reply before the apex court, used slanderous terms such as ‘arrogant’ to describe him only because he has refused to apologise, stat-

Rajiv Gandhi had 'Mr Clean' image, PM Modi enjoys same reputation: Ajit Pawar

all thieves have modi surname.” rahul stated that he would not apologize for his statement and that if he wanted to compound the offense, he could have done so much earlier.

ed Gandhi’s affidavit.

Using the criminal process and the consequences under the Representation of Peoples Act to “arm twist” Gandhi into apologising for no fault, is a gross abuse of the judicial process and ought not to be countenanced by this court, he added.

\ The affidavit further stated that Gandhi has an ‘exceptional’ case considering the offence be-

Pune:

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has said late Rajiv Gandhi was known as `Mr Clean', and Prime Minister Narendra Modi enjoys the same reputation.Pawar, who split the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and joined the BJP-Shiv Sena government last month, was speaking to reporters in Pune on Tuesday after attending a ceremony where Modi received the Lokmanya Tilak National Award. He said the people of Pune welcomed Modi by standing on both sides of roads when his convoy was passing. "I and Devendra ji (deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis) were in the same car in the ing a trivial offence, and the irreparable harm that accrues to him as an elected MP. On the other hand, there is no prejudice caused at all to the complainant. It is therefore prayed for that the conviction of Gandhi be stayed, enabling him to participate in the ongoing sittings of the Lok Sabha and the sessions thereafter,” Gandhi said. The complainant in the Rahul Gandhi’s criminal defamation case in which he was convicted and sentenced to two years in jail by the Surat court over the ‘Modi surname’ remark, on Monday told the Supreme Court that the attitude of the Congress leader reveals arrogant entitlement and he doesn’t deserve any relief in form of stay on his conviction. convoy. We did not see any black flags during Modi's journey to the venue. In fact, we saw that people, standing on both sides of the road, welcomed and greeted him," said Pawar, when pointed out that NCP workers (of the rival faction) staged a protest and showed black flags during the prime minister's visit."Any prime minister will think of having a good atmosphere in the country from the law and order point of view. Nobody supported whatever that is happening in Manipur. The prime minister has taken cognizance of the issue. Chief Justice of India has also taken cognizance. Everyone has condemned whatever happened there," said Pawar.