Ahmedabad court grants bail to Rahul Gandhi in defamation case

“I’m in Ahmedabad today, to appear in another case filed against me by my political opponents in the RSS/BJP. I thank them for providing me with these platforms and opportunities to take my ideological battle against them to the public. Satyameva Jayate.

Congress leader @rahulgandhi address the media after a court hearing in Gujarat. He has pleaded not guilty to defamation charges and has been released on bail. https://t.co/FfSx9re8xe pic.twitter.com/oQnLGwnLLv

— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) July 12, 2019

This is Congress leader’s first visit to the Gujarat capital after the party’s humiliating defeat in the recently held Lok Sabha elections.

Summons were issued to Gandhi and Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala in a criminal defamation suit filed by the Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank and its chairman. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is a director of the bank. The suit alleged that the Congress leaders had claimed that the bank was involved in a scam to swap Rs 750 crore in scrapped notes with valid currency within five days of demonetisation in November 2016.

Though there are reports that before going to the court, Rahul will attend a roadshow which will be organised by the party’s supporters in Gujarat, state Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi denied any such arrangement, stating that the Congress leader will briefly interact with his supporters on his way to the Metropolitan Court.

“…In the evening, he will interact with the party’s leaders for half an hour in a closed event,” said Doshi. Commenting on the suit, Doshi said, “This is a conspiracy by the BJP to frame and harass Rahul for his fight for the common people. He had exposed the wrongdoings of the BJP and had stood by the common people. Rahul will keep fighting for the truth and the entire party is with him in this.”