"Modi surname" remark: Surat court convicts Rahul Gandhi; awards 2-year sentence

• Rahul Gandhi, a Congress leader, has been found guilty in a criminal defamation case filed against him by a BJP MLA in Gujarat's Surat
• Gandhi had made "surname Modi" remarks during a rally in Kolar, Karnataka, ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections
• Congress supporters gathered in Surat as a show of strength and support for Gandhi, with banners reading "Congress will not bow down to BJP dictatorship"

A court in Gujarat's Surat on Thursday found Congress leader Rahul Gandhi guilty in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him by a BJP MLA over his "surname Modi" remarks.

Earlier in the day, Gandhi was received at Surat airport by senior Congress state officials, including GPCC president Jagdish Thakor, legislature party leader Amit Chavda, senior leader Arjun Modhwadii and AICC Gujarat in-charge Raghu Sharma.

A large number of party functionaries gathered at various places in Surat as a show of strength and support for Gandhi, with posters hailing him as "Sher-e-Hindustan" (Lion of Hindustan) and banners reading "Congress will not bow down to BJP dictatorship".

The case was filed against Gandhi for his alleged “how come all thieves have Modi as a common surname? remarks on a complaint filed by BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi.

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