Lalit Modi has been in the UK for over a decade. (File)
Lalit Modi, the former chief of the Indian Premier League (IPL), has announced that he will sue Rahul Gandhi, the former chief of the Congress party, in a UK court over his remarks that linked him to corruption and money laundering. Mr Modi, who has been living in London since 2010 after facing allegations of financial irregularities in the IPL, took to Twitter on Thursday to lash out at Mr Gandhi, saying he "looked forward to seeing him make a complete fool of himself".
Mr Modi's decision to take legal action against Mr Gandhi comes days after the latter was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison by a Surat court for in a defamation case for comments seen as an insult to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and those who share his surname during an election rally in 2019. "How come all thieves have the common surname Modi?" Mr Gandhi had said, clubbing PM Modi with Lalit Modi and fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi. The conviction resulted in his disqualification as a member of parliament.
Mr Modi questioned Mr Gandhi's basis for calling him a "fugitive of justice" and said that he has never been convicted of any crime. He also claimed that he has created "the greatest sporting event in this world" that has generated close to 100 billion dollars and that his family has done more for India than the Mr Gandhi family. He challenged Mr Gandhi to prove for his allegations and said that he looks forward to seeing him make a complete fool of himself in court.
Mr Modi also accused several Congress leaders of having overseas assets and said that he can provide addresses and photos of their properties. He said that he will return to India as soon as the country passes stringent libel laws.
Mr Gandhi has not responded to Mr Modi's tweets or his legal threat so far. His party has maintained that his conviction was politically motivated and that he will appeal against it in a higher court. Mr Gandhi has been vocal about his criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government over various issues, especially crony capitalism.