New Delhi, July 7: The Congress on Friday termed the Gujarat High Court verdict refusing a stay on Rahul Gandhi’s conviction in a defamation case as legally “wrong” and said it will move the Supreme Court against it.
The party also alleged that the government is finding newer techniques to throttle the freedom of speech in the country and throttle the voice of Gandhi for speaking the truth.
It said the verdict redoubles its resolve to pursue the matter further and it will fight the battle both legally and politically.
Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, Congress spokesperson and Gandhi’s counsel in the case Abhishek Singhvi said the dismissal of the plea is “disappointing, but not unexpected”.
He also said they had to wait for 66 days for the judgement to come and an appeal will be filed against it in Supreme Court “very shortly”.
Sources said the party is likely to move the Supreme Court before the upcoming session of Parliament beginning July 20.
Singhvi said the ultimate court is the court of the people and they see what is happening and how an “entire cottage industry has been unleashed against one individual” as he speaks the truth. “The jurisprudence we have received from Gujarat, both from high court and sessions court is unique because has it has no other parallel or precedent in the jurisprudence of the defamation law,” he noted.
He also said that the high court has called it a heinous crime as if it a crime against the country.
“We have full faith in the judiciary and in particular in the apex court where we are now proceeding. We have no doubt that this intersection of arrogance and infallibility shown by this government of the day and the ruling party of the day will be dealt with properly in the Supreme Court,” he said.
“I will not reiterate the gymnastics that took place at the stage of trial, where the complainant got a one year stay on his own complaint, and then revived it after there was a change on the bench. And, it was that second magistrate, who proceeded to pass that order of conviction,” he said.
Singhvi said this is not just about Gandhi or any particular person, as it is about free speech and expression. The aim of this government is to control the freedom of expression and “that is why the law of defamation has been misused in this case”. This is part of a bigger conspiracy to put an end to independent speech and expression and throttle such thoughts by anyone, he alleged.
“The more they have attempted to silence him (Rahul Gandhi); though harassment by the ED and the CBI, the breach of privilege notices, the petty removal of SPG (Special Protection Group) security to the disqualification from Parliament, he remains unmoved. And that is what exposes their fear,” he said.
“It is consistent aggression that has compelled the government to find newer and newer techniques to throttle his voice…we are seeing this cycle of oppression and suppression play out once again. We will fight it. Rahul Gandhi will fight it. And if the last nine years are anything to go by, they will always fail to silence his vigilant voice,” Singhvi said.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the reasoning of the judge is being studied and the matter will be taken up further. (PTI)
