An Indian court granted bail to opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of corruption. Gandhi, facing numerous legal battles brought by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, was last year briefly disqualified from parliament due to a criminal libel conviction.
Several opposition leaders are facing politically motivated criminal proceedings by Modi’s government, including Congress party members. Gandhi’s case involves allegations of corrupt commissions in infrastructure projects in Karnataka state.
Although Gandhi was sentenced to two years in another case last year, his conviction was suspended by the Supreme Court, lifting his brief disqualification from parliament. The recent bail hearing happened amidst criticism of Modi’s government for allegedly using the justice system to target political opponents.
US think tank Freedom House noted BJP’s use of government institutions against rivals. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, part of the opposition alliance, was also briefly jailed in a corruption probe but was allowed bail during election campaigning.
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