Speak Out: March 24, 2023

Rahul Gandhi's conviction in a 2019 criminal defamation case by a Surat court on Thursday triggered a political slugfest between the BJP and opposition parties, including AAP, which rallied behind the former Congress chief and accused the ruling party of "hatching a conspiracy to eliminate" its political opponents by prosecuting them. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, however, said that legal experts will examine the Surat court verdict against Rahul Gandhi and only after that the government will take a decision on the next step.

Rahul Gandhi would stand disqualified until he does not approach the higher court with a plea to stay the conviction, senior advocate Mahalakshmi Pavani has said.

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