An Indian court on Thursday rejected a plea by top opposition figure Rahul Gandhi for a stay on a defamation conviction that prompted his expulsion from parliament last month.
\nGandhi, 52, who was sentenced to two years imprisonment for remarks he made in 2019 seen as insulting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and those sharing his surname, had been looking to overturn the conviction before national elections due next year.
\nModi\u2019s government is widely accused of using defamation law to silence critics.
\nThe case in the premier\u2019s home state of Gujarat is one of several lodged in recent years against Gandhi, who is Modi\u2019s chief opponent and the foremost member of the opposition Congress party.
\nThe judge in Thursday\u2019s hearing rejected Gandhi\u2019s plea for a stay, Congress member Naishadh Desai told reporters, adding that the verdict would be appealed in the Gujarat High Court.
\nCritics highlight that the defamation conviction came after Gandhi repeatedly raised the issue of Modi\u2019s relationship with business tycoon Gautam Adani both inside and outside parliament.
\nThe two men \u2014 both Gujaratis \u2014 have been close associates for decades, but Adani\u2019s business empire has been subject to renewed scrutiny this year after a US investment firm accused it of \u201cbrazen\u201d corporate fraud, which it denies.
\nGandhi, currently on bail, is the leading face of the Congress party, once the dominant force in Indian politics but now a shadow of its former self.
\nHe is the scion of India\u2019s premier political dynasty and the son, grandson and great-grandson of former prime ministers, beginning with independence leader Jawaharlal Nehru.
\nBut he has struggled to challenge the electoral juggernaut of Modi\u2019s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its nationalist appeals to the country\u2019s Hindu majority.
\nIn an appeal filed this month, Gandhi\u2019s lawyers argued the trial was \u201charsh\u201d and excessive.
\nThey also said that if the trial court\u2019s decision was not stayed, it would cause irreparable damage to his reputation.
\nThe sentence renders Gandhi ineligible to stand in next year\u2019s election, which Modi\u2019s party is widely expected to win convincingly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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