Rahul Gandhi, the former Congress president, will appear in a Gujarat court to appeal against his conviction and two-year sentencing in a 2019 defamation case. The case was due to a remark made by Gandhi which was seen as an insult to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gandhi will appeal to the sessions court in Surat to set aside the Magistrate order convicting him and ask for an interim stay on the conviction which would also restore his Lok Sabha membership. Gandhi will be accompanied by his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and the Chief Ministers of three Congress-ruled states – Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel, and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. Congress leaders will be providing moral support during the trial. The BJP has called Gandhi’s visit to Surat with his sister and some party leaders a “childish attempt” to pressure the court.
