Rahul Gandhi appeared in a Surat court on Thursday and pleaded “not guilty” to defamation charges, declaring his intent to face trial over his question at a public rally why “all the thieves have Modi as a common surname”. Kapadia and pleaded not guilty when asked by the court whether he accepted the charges levelled by the BJP legislator from Surat West, Purnesh Modi. Rahul had said at a rally in Karnataka: “Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi… how come they all have Modi as a common surname? Ignoring objections to the plea, the court said Rahul need not be present at the next hearing, set for December 10. Rahul is scheduled to address election meetings in Maharashtra on October 13 and 15 and in Haryana on October 14.

Source: The Telegraph October 10, 2019 20:26 UTC