Indian Opposition Leader Gandhi Sentenced to Prison for Defamation, Loses Parliamentary Seat

Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has lost his parliamentary seat after being sentenced to imprisonment.

Supporters of Rahul Gandhi, the former president of the Indian National Congress (INC) and great-grandson of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, gathered outside his residence in the capital New Delhi on the 23rd (local time) after Gandhi appeared at the Surat District Court in western Gujarat. They held placards criticizing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and protested. Gandhi was sued by BJP Pune MP Modi for remarks related to the surname 'Modi' during the 2019 general election campaign and was sentenced to two years in prison for defamation by the court on that day, but he was released on bail after the verdict. [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to local Indian media on the 24th, the Surat District Court in Gujarat state, western India, sentenced Gandhi to two years in prison for defamation related to remarks he made during the last general election. Gandhi was released on bail after the verdict and appealed to a higher court. However, on the same day, the Lok Sabha Secretariat decided to revoke his membership. The Indian Lok Sabha declared, "Due to the guilty verdict, Gandhi's membership as a Lok Sabha member is revoked." In the Indian Lok Sabha, members sentenced to two years or more in prison lose their parliamentary seats.

Earlier, during the last general election, Gandhi had said, "How come all thieves have the surname Modi?" This remark targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nirav Modi, who is on the run due to a bank fraud case. However, Purnesh Modi, a Gujarat BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) legislator, filed a lawsuit against Gandhi, claiming that millions of people with the surname Modi were insulted.

The opposition views these series of moves as an effort to eliminate political rivals. An opposition official warned, "If Gandhi remains in parliament, he could pose a fatal threat to the ruling party, but if he takes to the streets, he could become even more dangerous." However, Gandhi must overturn the verdict in a higher court to retain his seat and participate politically in the next general election.

Local media have pointed out that the Indian government is extensively using defamation laws to silence critics and opposition forces.

Gandhi is the great-grandson of the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and ran as a prime ministerial candidate in 2014 and 2019 but was defeated by Prime Minister Modi.