“Restored people’s faith in democracy”: Congress’s Deepinder Hooda welcomes SC staying Rahul conviction in ‘Modi’ surname case

New Delhi [India]: Welcoming the Supreme Court verdict, putting a stay on the conviction of Rahul Gandhi in the criminal defamation case of the use of ‘Modi’ surname, Congress leader Deepinder Hooda on Friday said the judgement has helped restore people’s faith in democracy and the constitution.

Speaking to media on Friday, Hooda, son of former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, said, “The judgement of the Supreme Court has once again re-established the faith of common people in our judicial system, democracy, constitution and in the principle that truth always prevails.”

In a major relief to Rahul, who was elected MP from the Wayanad constituency of Kerala, the Supreme Court, in an interim order on Friday, stayed his conviction in the defamation case.

The Congress leader had made the alleged remark at a campaign event in Karnataka ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The Supreme Court’s ruling on Friday came on a petition filed by Rahul challenging his conviction and sentencing by a trial court in Surat in the criminal defamation case.

The Congress leader had earlier challenged the trial court order at the Gujarat High Court, which upheld the ruling of the lower court.

Apart from being convicted, the Congress leader was also handed a 2-year prison sentence in the case. However, the sentence was set aside to enable him to challenge his conviction and sentencing at a higher court.

Following his conviction, Rahul was stripped off his membership of the Lok Sabha and was also forced to vacate his official bungalow.