Backward Community Leaders Attack Rahul Gandhi For 'Modi Surname' Remark

BJP functionaries from the 'Teli' (oil-pressing) caste and leaders of the community on Thursday demanded an apology from Rahul Gandhi for his "defamatory" remarks against people with the 'Modi' surname, following his conviction by a Gujarat court.

They also warned of an agitation to protest Mr Gandhi's comments. The 'Modi' surname largely belongs to people from the 'Teli' community, who are part of the Other Backward Classes.

Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule condemned the former Congress president for "insulting" Telis and said it showed his "casteist" mindset.

It may be mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi also comes from an oil-pressing backward community from Gujarat.

"This is an insult to the OBCs in general and the community will show Gandhi his place," Mr Bawankule, who hails from the same community, told reporters in Mumbai.

Former Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das accused Mr Gandhi of crossing all limits of decency and asked him to tender an apology to the people of the country. The fact that Mr Gandhi has opted for bail shows that he has accepted his guilt, Mr Das told reporters in Jharkhand.

All India Teli Mahasangh's Ram Kumar said in a statement that Mr Gandhi has resorted to "abusing" others after his party lost power and added that people will teach him a lesson.

The Congress leader's comments have not dented the prime minister's popularity a bit and he should tender an apology, Ram Kumar said.

A court in Surat on Thursday sentenced Congress leader Mr Gandhi to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his "Modi surname" remarks.

The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate HH Varma, which held Mr Gandhi guilty under Indian Penal Code sections 499 and 500, also granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court, the Congress leader's lawyer Babu Mangukiya said.

Mr Gandhi was present in the court when the verdict was pronounced.

The case was filed against Mr Gandhi for his "how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname" remarks, based on a complaint lodged by BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi.

The Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad made the remarks while addressing a rally at Kolar in Karnataka ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)