A Delhi court on Friday allowed the plea filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi seeking issuance of a fresh passport. .Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vaibhav Mehta directed that the no objection certificate (NOC) in respect of the passport will be valid for three years.This would mean that Gandhi will have to approach the Court for NOC after 3 years.Gandhi had sought passport for ten years. .Gandhi approached the Court seeking NOC for fresh passport after surrendering his diplomatic passport due to his disqualification as a Member of Parliament (MP).The parliamentarian was disqualified as an MP after being convicted for criminal defamation on March 23 for his remark "all thieves have Modi surname" which he had made at an election rally in Karnataka's Kolar in 2019.Gandhi had, in his speech linked Prime Minister Narendra Modi with fugitives like Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi.He had said,"Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi. How come all the thieves have 'Modi' as a common surname?".Purnesh Modi, a former BJP Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), took exception to the said speech claiming that Gandhi humiliated and defamed persons with the Modi surname.The magistrate court in Surat accepted the contention of Modi that by his speech, Gandhi has intentionally insulted the people with a 'Modi' surname.A sessions judge refused to stay the Magistrate court conviction. Appeal against the same is pending before the High Court which is slated to pronounce its verdict in June..The plea by Gandhi was fresh passport was opposed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. He is the complainant in the National Herald case which pertains to the assignment of a ₹90 crore loan advanced by the Congress party to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the owner of the National Herald, to Young Indian for a consideration of ₹50 lakh.Swamy said that there is no valid reason why should be given a passport for ten years and therefore, the NOC should be given to him only for a year. The same should be reviewed annually or as deemed fit by the Court, Swamy said in his written statement. "That it is submitted, the Application is devoid of any merit for issuance of Passport for 10 years. That it is humbly submitted, this Hon’ble Court, may exercise the discretion to grant permission after scrutinizing and analyzing all other correlated matters in deciding on the litigation of the Applicant in the broad spectrum of areas of justice and law," Swamy argued. .Advocates Tarannum Cheema, Nikhil Bhalla and Sumit Kumar appeared for Rahul Gandhi.Advocate Satya Sabharwal assisted Subramanian Swamy.Read more about arguments made by parties here.
A Delhi court on Friday allowed the plea filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi seeking issuance of a fresh passport. .Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vaibhav Mehta directed that the no objection certificate (NOC) in respect of the passport will be valid for three years.This would mean that Gandhi will have to approach the Court for NOC after 3 years.Gandhi had sought passport for ten years. .Gandhi approached the Court seeking NOC for fresh passport after surrendering his diplomatic passport due to his disqualification as a Member of Parliament (MP).The parliamentarian was disqualified as an MP after being convicted for criminal defamation on March 23 for his remark "all thieves have Modi surname" which he had made at an election rally in Karnataka's Kolar in 2019.Gandhi had, in his speech linked Prime Minister Narendra Modi with fugitives like Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi.He had said,"Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi. How come all the thieves have 'Modi' as a common surname?".Purnesh Modi, a former BJP Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), took exception to the said speech claiming that Gandhi humiliated and defamed persons with the Modi surname.The magistrate court in Surat accepted the contention of Modi that by his speech, Gandhi has intentionally insulted the people with a 'Modi' surname.A sessions judge refused to stay the Magistrate court conviction. Appeal against the same is pending before the High Court which is slated to pronounce its verdict in June..The plea by Gandhi was fresh passport was opposed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. He is the complainant in the National Herald case which pertains to the assignment of a ₹90 crore loan advanced by the Congress party to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the owner of the National Herald, to Young Indian for a consideration of ₹50 lakh.Swamy said that there is no valid reason why should be given a passport for ten years and therefore, the NOC should be given to him only for a year. The same should be reviewed annually or as deemed fit by the Court, Swamy said in his written statement. "That it is submitted, the Application is devoid of any merit for issuance of Passport for 10 years. That it is humbly submitted, this Hon’ble Court, may exercise the discretion to grant permission after scrutinizing and analyzing all other correlated matters in deciding on the litigation of the Applicant in the broad spectrum of areas of justice and law," Swamy argued. .Advocates Tarannum Cheema, Nikhil Bhalla and Sumit Kumar appeared for Rahul Gandhi.Advocate Satya Sabharwal assisted Subramanian Swamy.Read more about arguments made by parties here.
