2023 saw Rahul Gandhi's conviction by Gujarat court and Biparjoy cyclone leave trail of destruction
defamation case by a Surat court that triggered the Congress leader's legal fight for the restoration of his Lok Sabha membership, and Biparjoy cyclone leaving a trail of destruction were two key developments that took place in Gujarat in 2023. The year also gave several reasons for the residents of Gujarat to cheer with the inclusion of the state's traditional dance form Garba in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, inauguration of the Surat Diamond Bourse and two Australia-based universities setting up their campuses in Gandhinagar-based GIFT City among other things.
On March 23, the court in Surat sentenced Rahul Gandhi to two years in jail in the defamation case filed against him over his «Modi surname» remark.
Former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi had filed the criminal defamation case against Gandhi in 2019 over his «How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?» comment made during an election rally in Kolar in Karnataka on April 13, 2019.
After his conviction, Gandhi was disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha. A punishment for two years and above automatically disqualifies a lawmaker.
As per the rules, Gandhi could be reinstated as an MP only if the court stayed his conviction. The former Congress president's efforts to secure a stay on his conviction failed in the Surat sessions court and Gujarat High Court as they rejected his pleas.
Finally in August, the Supreme Court stayed his conviction, paving the way for the restoration of his Lok Sabha membership.
