India News | Top Legal Advisors Working on Review Petition Challenging Surat Court Verdict Against Rahul: Cong Sources

New Delhi, Mar 31 (PTI) The Congress has contended that there is no delay in the filing of a review petition challenging the Surat court verdict against Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case and it is likely to be registered "shortly" before the sessions court.

Sources said the 168-page judgement of the Surat court against Gandhi has been translated by experts and the petition is ready for filing, but his legal team is taking an "abundantly cautious approach" keeping in view its repercussions that it could have on the two other similar cases filed in Patna and Ranchi courts on the same grounds.

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The sources also said that Gandhi's legal team handling the case has 30 days (from March 23) to file an appeal before the sessions court.

But they are prepared to go to the next level, sources in the party said, noting that Gandhi stands disqualified as he has taken on Prime Minister Narendra Modi "consistently and directly" ever since the 2016 demonetisation, followed by GST bill and privatisation, with the latest attack being on his relationship with businessman Gautam Adani.

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Top legal advisors of the Congress are working on the review petition which will be filed before the Surat sessions court in a day or two, they added.

Gandhi was convicted and was given a two-year sentence in the 2019 defamation case over his remarks on Modi surname, following which he was disqualified as member of Lok Sabha.

The Congress has said it will fight the matter both politically and legally and will take the issue to the public.

Sources in the party feel that Gandhi's disqualification has helped bring unity among the opposition ranks with its first consequence being 19 opposition parties now displaying rare unity against the BJP against only a handful earlier.

A major meeting of senior leaders of these opposition parties is likely to be steered by the Congress in the next three or four weeks, the sources added.

They also feel that the BJP is out to embarrass Gandhi in a telling and dramatic way due to the success of the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

The party also feels that Gandhi will get public sympathy following his disqualification, even as they asserted that the ideological moorings within the party have sharpened in the last few months.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)