Nana Patole, Balasaheb Thorat to accompany Rahul Gandhi to Surat court as he files appeal against conviction in defamation case

Mumbai: Maharashtra Congress Chief Nana Patole and Congress Legislative Party leader Balasaheb Thorat will reportedly accompany Rahul Gandhi in Surat today.

The two leaders who were at loggerheads will be with him when he files an appeal against Magistrate Court's order convicting him in a criminal defamation case.

A PTI report said that senior Congress leaders including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, chief ministers of three Congress-ruled states and other national and state party leaders will likely accompany him to the court.

Reportedly, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Congress Rajya Sabha member KC Venugopal, and other senior party leaders will also be in Surat to support Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi convicted in 2019 case

The former MP was sentenced to two years in jail for his "Modi surname" remarks in a 2019 rally in Karnataka during the Lok Sabha elections campaign.

The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate HH Varma convicted and sentenced him on March 23, and suspended the sentence for 30 days to appeal in a higher court. Gandhi's lawyers said the matter is likely to be taken up for hearing by the sessions court on Monday, and he will seek suspension of his sentence.

The case was filed against him by Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Purnesh Modi for his alleged remarks "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?"

RaGa disqualified from Lok Sabha

Following his conviction, Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha on March 24 and cannot contest elections for eight years unless a higher court stays his conviction and sentence.

The sentence of two years invited his disqualification from the membership of Parliament under provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

The RP Act holds that an MP or a member of legislative Assembly (MLA) convicted for any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years shall be disqualified from the date of conviction.