Himanta Biswa Sarma slams Rahul Gandhi after SC verdict, says "Heights of Duplicity!"

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on August 4 took to social media to launch a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, sparking a war of words that has caught the attention of the public. Sarma's strong remarks came after the recent Supreme Court verdict, which stayed the conviction of Rahul Gandhi in a 2019 defamation case. The Assam CM's statement, "Heights of Duplicity!" accused Gandhi of hypocrisy, pointing out the Congress leader's contrasting stance on the judiciary when facing conviction versus seeking bail.

The Congress party on the other hand hailed the Supreme Court's decision to stay Rahul Gandhi's conviction in the 2019 defamation case as a "strong vindication of truth." They asserted that no force can silence the voice of the people and described the ruling as a "victory of love over hate."

Congress General Secretary In-Charge of Communications, Jairam Ramesh, praised Rahul Gandhi for unwaveringly placing his faith in the judicial process despite relentless opposition from the BJP. He issued a warning to the BJP and its followers, asserting that the Congress would continue to expose their government and party's failures. Ramesh expressed confidence in upholding constitutional ideals and having faith in institutions, which the BJP purportedly seeks to destroy.

Congress' General Secretary Organization, K C Venugopal, welcomed the Supreme Court's verdict, affirming that justice has prevailed, and the voice of the people cannot be silenced.

Congress General Secretary Randeep Surjewala also hailed the ruling, emphasizing that the "roar of truth" would resound in the halls of democracy.

The three-judge bench of Justices B R Gavai, P S Narasimha, and Sanjay Kumar clarified that while Rahul Gandhi's remarks were not in good taste, the trial judge provided no reason for imposing the maximum sentence. The court decided to stay the conviction until a final adjudication.

Rahul Gandhi's plea challenged the Gujarat High Court's verdict, which dismissed his request for a stay on his conviction in the defamation case concerning his "Modi surname" remark. Former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi had filed the criminal defamation case against Gandhi in 2019 over his statement made during an election rally in Kolar, Karnataka.