Why can’t Congress control Rahul Gandhi: BJP’s Ravi Shankar Prasad on Gujarat HC’s verdict

New Delhi [India], July 7 (ANI): Reacting to Gujarat High Court’s verdict on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s defamation case, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad asked why can’t Congress control him adding that it has become a ‘chronic habit’ of Rahul Gandhi to abuse and defame leaders and organisations.

This comes after the Gujarat High Court on Friday refused to stay on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s plea seeking a stay on his conviction in the ‘Modi surname’ defamation case.

Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Prasad said, “We would like to ask Congress, why can’t you control Rahul Gandhi? Why can’t you train him to speak properly? He is your leader.”

He also noted that if the Congress leader had apologised in this matter, it would have ended.

“Had he apologised in this matter, it would have ended. It has become a chronic habit of Rahul Gandhi to abuse, defame and almost shower the worst kind of abuses against eminent leaders and organisations,” BJP MP said.

BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla also reacted to Gujarat HC’s verdict and said that the court has shown them a mirror. He said that instead of apologising to the OBC community, the party workers threaten the judge and questioned the judiciary.

In a self-made video, Poonawalla said, “Congress party and Rahul Gandhi received a shock once again today. After Sessions Court, Gujarat High Court also showed them a mirror. They insult the OBC community and then instead of apologising, they act out of arrogance”.

“Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the OBC community but instead of that, either his party workers threaten the judge or the Congress party questions the judiciary,” he added.

The bench of Justice Hemant M Prachchhak on Friday said that the trial court conviction order is proper.

“There is no need to interfere with the said order. Therefore, the application is dismissed,” he said.

The court dismissed Rahul Gandhi’s plea and noted that at least 10 criminal cases were pending against him and even after the present case, some more cases have been filed against him. One such case has been filed by the grandson of Veer Savarkar, the court said.

Rahul Gandhi 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.

Following his conviction by a lower court in the criminal defamation case, Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as Lok Sabha MP. He had been elected to Lok Sabha from Wayanad in Kerala.

The lower court sentenced the Congress leader to two years in jail on March 23 under sections 499 and 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in a case filed by Purnesh Modi.

At a rally in Karnataka’s Kolar in April 2019, Rahul Gandhi, in a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said, “How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?”.

Following the session’s court verdict, Congress had said it will move the Gujarat High Court.