Won't Tender Apology To Settle Defamation Case: Rahul To SC

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday submitted in the Supreme Court that he would not apologise to settle the criminal defamation case that cost him his membership from parliament, maintaining that his conviction by a Surat court is unsustainable and that he has an "excellent" chance of success in his appeal.

- Utkarsh Anand

In his rejoinder affidavit filed on Thursday, Gandhi criticised Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Purnesh Modi -the complainant in the defamation case against him for calling him "arrogant" in an affidavit before the court just because Gandhi refused to tender an apology and express remorse over his remarks on 'Modi' surname at a poll rally in 2019.

"Using the criminal /process and the consequences under the Representation of People Act to arm twist the petitioner into apologising for no fault, is gross abuse of the judicial process and ought not to be countenanced by this Court. The petitioner maintains and has always maintained that he is not guilty of the offence and that the conviction is unsustainable and if he had to apologise and compound the offence, he would have done it much earlier," stated Gandhi's affidavit, settled by senior advocates Prashanto C Sen and Rajinder Cheema. Senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi argues the matter for Gandhi.