Congress workers in Wayanad celebrate SC verdict in Rahul Gandhi case

Wayanad (Ker): Congress workers in Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency on Friday welcomed the Supreme Court verdict staying the conviction of Rahul Gandhi in a 2019 defamation case over his Modi surname remark. They expressed hope that the Lok Sabha secretariat would soon reinstate Rahul Gandhi as their MP.

Party workers distributed sweets in many parts of the hill constituency represented by Gandhi in Lok Sabha before his disqualification after his conviction in the case a few months ago. "We've got our leader back (in the constituency)," a Congress worker told a TV channel, expressing his happiness over the verdict. "Finally, Rahul Gandhi has got justice from the Apex Court. It's a verdict against the BJP's politics of vengeance," Salih, a Congress worker, said. Vinod Kumar, another Congress worker from Wayanad, said "all of us who believe in democracy are overjoyed with today's Supreme Court verdict. It is a verdict against Modi." Shamsudeen, a voter in Wayanad, said it was the happiest moment for the people of Wayanad as they got their MP, who knows the pulse of his people. Congress leader from Wayanad and MLA I C Balakrishnan, representing Sultan Batheri constituency in the State Assembly, said Gandhi had intervened in the issues of the people of Wayanad even after his disqualification as MP.

Senior Congress MP and former KPCC president K Muraleedharan said the party leaders and workers were confident that Rahul Gandhi would get justice the moment the case reached the Supreme Court from the Gujarat Court. "We have our faith in the Apex Court, and we are all happy. This verdict is most welcomed as the presence of him (Rahul) is essential in Parliament in these situations," Muraleedharan told reporters in Kottayam. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly V D Satheesan said the party has already stated that the Sangh Parivar cannot intimidate or silence it.

He said Gandhi has the backing of crores of Congress workers, and the party will continue its fight against politics of hate and fascism. Satheesan said the campaigns against Gandhi were carried out because he was constantly raising questions about the "unholy alliance" of top BJP leaders with big corporates. The Supreme Court on Friday stayed Gandhi's conviction in the 2019 defamation case over his Modi surname remark, paving the way for restoring his status as an MP. Former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi had filed a criminal defamation case in 2019 against Gandhi over his "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?" remark made during an election rally in Kolar, Karnataka, on April 13, 2019.