Sabarmati: The Gujarat High Court has issued a notice to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on a plea by state BJP minister Purnesh Modi challenging a Surat court order over Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Modi Surname’ remark in 2019 claiming ‘All Modis are thieves’.

The surat court order had rejected BJP minister Purnesh Modi’s application filed in connection with the criminal defamation case against congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his 2019 ‘Modi Surname’ remark. He recently approached the Gujarat High Court challenging the Surat court order rejecting his application to make the accused (Rahul Gandhi) personally explain contents of the CDs and/or pen drives and/or such other electronic records related to his speech.

The complainant had submitted certified copies of 3 CDs received from the district election officer and collector of Kolar at Karnataka containing his remark about Modi Surname. The complainant Purnesh Modi wanted the Surat court to play the CDs in the presence of the accused to enable him to personally explain their contents as per the provisions of section 313 of the CrPC.

Justice V M Pancholi issued notices, returnable on 28th March, to respondents Gandhi and the state government. The Gujarat High Court also granted a an interim stay on the proceedings in the private criminal defamation case pending before the Surat court. DeshGujarat