Congress to hold 'Maun Satyagraha' on July 12 in support of Rahul Gandhi

Congress general secreatry KC Venugopal on Friday wrote to the state party presidents requesting them to organise a massive one-day 'Maun Satyagraha' (silent protest), in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statues, at all state headquarters on July 12 to express solidarity with party leader Rahul Gandhi.

KC Venugopal wrote to all PCC presidents after the Gujarat High Court on Friday upheld the Sessions Court order denying a stay on the conviction of Rahul Gandhi in the defamation case over the 'Modi surname' remark.

"In the present circumstances, it is high time that we stand together and reiterate that Rahul Gandhi is not alone and millions of congressmen and crores of people irrespective of their political affiliations are with him in this fight for truth and justice," the letter read.

"Under the leadership of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, in solidarity with our leader and in support of his fearless and uncompromising fight, all the PCCs are requested to organise a massive one-day Maun Satyagraha (Silent Protest) in front of Gandhi statues, in all State Headquarters from 10 AM to 5 PM, on Wednesday, on July 12, 2023, with maximum possible mobilisation and involvement of all the senior leaders, MPs, MLA/MLCs and other elected representatives," it added.

The Congress on Friday said the order by the single judge bench of the Gujarat High Court, dismissing Rahul Gandhi's plea seeking a stay on his conviction was "disappointing" but not an "unexpected judgement".

The party said that it will approach the Supreme Court in the matter.

"We will fight both the political battle and the legal battle," Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said in light or the high court ruling.

The Gujarat High Court in May reserved its order on Rahul's plea seeking a stay on his conviction in the 2019 'Modi surname' defamation case. The court had refused to grant any interim relief to the Congress leader.

Rahul moved the Gujarat High Court on April 25 challenging the Surat sessions court order, which declined to stay his conviction in the criminal defamation case.

The Surat court had, on April 20, rejected Rahul's plea seeking a stay on his conviction by the lower court in the case.

In his judgement, Additional sessions judge Robin P Mogera had cited Gandhi's stature as an MP and former chief of the country's second-largest political party, saying he should have been more careful.

The lower court convicted and sentenced the Congress leader to two years in jail on March 23 under sections 499 and 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in connection with the defamation case filed by Purnesh Modi.

At a rally in Karnataka's Kolar in April 2019, Rahul, in a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said, "How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?".