NEW DELHI (AP) – An Indian court yesterday suspended a two-year prison sentence for Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi (AP, pic below) as he appeals a criminal conviction for mocking the prime minister’s surname that saw him expelled from Parliament, dealing a huge blow to his Congress Party ahead of general elections next year.
Gandhi, a fierce critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his main challenger in the 2024 polls, was ousted after a court sentenced him to two years in prison for defamation for a comment made in a 2019 election speech.
Gandhi appeared in a court in the western state of Gujarat yesterday to file an appeal and was granted bail for the duration of his appeals. He was given 30 days’ bail to file an appeal when he was convicted last month. The court set the next hearing for April 13.
