[アーメダバード（インド） ２３日 ロイター] – A court in the western Indian state of Gujarat on Friday defamed Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the main opposition Congress party, for referring to the surname Modi in a speech he gave in 2019 when he addressed the issue of corruption. He was sentenced to two years in prison for
The lawsuit was brought by a member of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Gujarat. The state is the birthplace of Prime Minister Modi.
When Gandhi addressed allegations of domestic corruption in his 2019 campaign speech, he referred to the prime minister and two expatriate Indian businessmen, both surnamed Modi.
Gandhi, who appeared in court today, insisted that his comments were not directed at any particular community. He announced that he would appeal against the ruling.
With India’s general elections scheduled for 2024, Gandhi’s imprisonment or loss of office would be a heavy blow to the Congress.
The Congress Party lost power to the BJP in the 2014 general election (lower house election). In the 2019 House of Representatives election, the number of seats won was less than 10%.
Gandhi, the great-granddaughter of the first Prime Minister Nehru, is still popular in the country. Protests against the ruling are scheduled for Thursday in many states.
