This Is A Fight Against 'Mitrkaal' To Save Democracy: Rahul

Soon after a Surat court granted bail to Rahul Gandhi in a 2019 defamation case, the Congress leader on Monday said this is a fight against "Mitrkaal" to save democracy and truth is his weapon in this struggle.

Gandhi was convicted by a lower court here and sentenced to prison for two years last month for a speech in which he linked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's last name with two fugitive businessmen, remarking how the "thieves" shared the same last name.

Minutes after the hearing on Monday, Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi, "This is a fight against 'Mitrkaal' to save democracy. In this struggle, truth is my weapon, and truth is my support!"

Gandhi has been taking the 'Mitrkaal' jibe at the central government, accusing it of working to benefit its "crony capitalist friends".

The former Congress chief also shared another video of his questions on the Adani group and how "Rs 20,000 crore had come in shell companies".

"Make a thousand efforts, but these questions will not stop. The country will continue to seek answers," he said in a post on Facebook and Instagram in Hindi.

Gandhi has claimed that the prime minister is "scared" of his next speech in Parliament and that is why he had been disqualified.

A sessions court on Monday granted bail to Gandhi in the defamation case and will hear the matter on April 13, an official said.

The 52-year-old Congress leader reached Surat this afternoon via a scheduled commercial flight along with sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other party leaders, and proceeded to the sessions court to file an appeal against the ruling of the lower court.

The lower court had granted him bail for 30 days to appeal the verdict. A day later, he was disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha.

-With PTI Input