GUWAHATI: A local court in Arunachal Pradesh has issued summons to Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his alleged offensive remark on “Modi” surname.
The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate in East Siang district issued summons to Gandhi on May 8 ordering him to appear before it on July 24. Earlier, a criminal defamation suit was filed against the Congress chief by Arunachal’s Pasighat-based lawyer Omit Modi.
In election rallies, Gandhi had remarked, “Why are all Modis thieves?”
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The complainant’s counsel submitted before the court: “Freedom of expression is not a wild horse; it is qualified with dignity and reputation of others. The said statement is not made in good faith but to malign the reputation of the persons having Modi as surname.”
Gandhi’s “thief” jibe was directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and implied at Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi. He was miffed with the PM for alleged corruption in the Rafale deal.