'Modi surname defamation case is an attempt to silence Rahul Gandhi,’ alleges Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury

livemint.com:

Rahul Gandhi in the Parliament, on the orders and directions of the ruling party. As reported by ANI, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, “The world and the country know that this has been done to shut Rahul Gandhi in the Parliament, on the orders and directions of the ruling party. What was the fault of Rahul Gandhi that he will apologise?...

Rahul Gandhi is not someone who will apologise. This is not because of the arrogance but because he has not done injustice..." Earlier on Wednesday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi refused to apologise over the Modi surname case, reiterating his innocence before the Supreme Court. In his affidavit, Gandhi argued that he was being coerced or pressured ("arm-twisted") into issuing an apology.

Rahul Gandhi said the apex court, “The Congress leader told the apex court that ‘using the criminal process and the consequences under Representation of Peoples Act’ to compel an apology was a ‘gross abuse of the judicial process." Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday extended till September 26 the interim relief granted to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from appearance before a local court here in a defamation complaint pertaining to his alleged remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018. The complainant, who claims to be a BJP worker, had alleged that Gandhi's "commander-in-thief" remark in the context of the Rafale fighter jet deal amounted to defamation. Purnesh Modi had requested the Supreme Court to reject Rahul Gandhi's appeal against his conviction in a criminal defamation case.