An Indian court on Friday granted bail to opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case related to accusations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party, BJP, of corruption. Gandhi, 53, has faced numerous legal challenges from BJP members, including a brief disqualification from parliament last year following a criminal libel conviction.
This latest case involves allegations that Gandhi’s Congress party published ads accusing the BJP of corruptly taking commissions from infrastructure projects in Karnataka. Gandhi has not been detained over this charge and was granted bail after a brief five-minute hearing, confirmed by Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.
Two other senior Congress figures in Karnataka had also been granted bail last week. Previously, Gandhi was sentenced to two years in prison in a separate case in Gujarat but avoided jail time after appealing to India’s top court, which led to his temporary disqualification from parliament until the Supreme Court suspended his conviction.
This case follows closely on the heels of a nationwide election victory for Modi and the BJP, though with a reduced majority requiring coalition partnerships. Critics accuse Modi’s government of using the justice system to target political opponents.
Indian Court grants bail to Rahul Gandhi in defamation case
