Published 12:53 IST, March 23rd 2023
Rahul Gandhi guilty: Who filed the case against Congress leader over Modi surname remarks?
The criminal defamation case against Rahul Gandhi over his Modi surname remarks was filed by a BJP leader from Gujarat named Purnesh Modi - Who is he?
A Surat District Court on Thursday held Rahul Gandhi guilty in a criminal defamation case filed against him over his alleged 'Modi surname' remarks. The court sentenced the Wayand MP to two years in jail. He has secured bail in the case. Former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi filed the case against Gandhi for allegedly defaming the Modi community at a rally in Karnataka’s Kolar ahead of the 2019 general elections. “How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?” Gandhi was allegedly quoted to have said.
Who is Purnesh Modi?
Purnesh Modi is a BJP leader from Gujarat. He contested the polls on a BJP ticket in the 2022 Gujarat Assembly elections from Surat West constituency. The 54-year old Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Purnesh Modi won the seat in the elections held in December by defeating Congress candidate Sanjay R Shah (Patva).
Purnesh Modi received 1,22,981 votes, while the Congress candidate got 18,669 votes. Coming third is Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Moxesh Rameshchandra Sanghavi with 16,955 votes.
Updated 12:53 IST, March 23rd 2023