India's Congress leader gets two-year jail for defamation case

NEW DELHI, March 23 (Xinhua) -- A local court in the western Indian state of Gujarat Thursday sentenced the country's main opposition leader Rahul Gandhi to two years in prison in a criminal defamation case.

The court convicted Gandhi for his 2019 comments made during an election rally about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's surname.

Gandhi was in court when the judge delivered the verdict.

However, he was not jailed immediately but has been given bail for 30 days and can file an appeal against his sentence during this period.

Addressing an election rally in Karnataka state ahead of the 2019 general election, Gandhi targeted Modi over his last name which he shares with fugitive businessman Nirav Modi and former Indian Premier League chief Lalit Modi saying "how come all thieves have a common surname, Modi?".

Gandhi's party Indian National Congress said that he will file an appeal.