In a 2019 criminal defamation lawsuit brought against him over his claimed ‘Modi surname’ statements, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was found guilty by a court in Surat. In a complaint filed by BJP Legislator and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi, the Surat District Court issued its decision in the case for his stated “how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?” statements.
Gandhi allegedly made the remarks regarding Modi’s surname at a rally in Kolar, Karnataka, ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate HH Varma ended hearing closing arguments from both parties last week and slated March 23 for a decision in the four-year-old defamation case.