Defamation case: Kapil Sibal slams Rahul Gandhi's conviction

With the Supreme Court staying Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's conviction in a defamation case, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Saturday said he had stated earlier that the conviction was unwarranted and rued that "court procedures are used for political agendas".

Gandhi on Friday got a huge relief from the Supreme Court after it stayed his conviction in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his Modi surname remark and paved the way for his reinstatement as a Lok Sabha MP.

The stay which will also enable Gandhi, 53, to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections was given on the grounds the the trial court in Surat in Gujarat failed to explain why he deserved the maximum two-year punishment upon his conviction that led to his disqualification from the Lower House of Parliament.

The top court also noted that the sentence would not have attracted disqualification had it been a day lesser.

In a tweet, Kapil Sibal said, "Supreme Court stays Rahul's conviction. On the day Rahul was convicted I publicly said the conviction is unwarranted and will not stand. The reason I gave is what the Supreme Court said yesterday."

"Unfortunate that court procedures are used for political agendas!" he said.

Kapil Sibal, who was a Union minister during UPA I and II, quit the Congress in May last year and was elected to the Rajya Sabha as an Independent member with the Samajwadi Party's support.

He has floated a non-electoral platform 'Insaaf' aimed at fighting injustice.