A magistrate court in Surat has directed Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi to appear before it today (October 29) to record his statement in connection with a defamation case lodged against him over his remark on the Modi surname.

Hindustan Times reported that BJP legislator from Surat Purnesh Modi filed a complaint against Rahul in April 2019 under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) that deal with defamation. According to HT, Purnesh alleged that Rahul Gandhi while addressing a poll rally in 2019 defamed the entire Modi community.

Also read: Navjot Sidhu calls Amarinder Singh ‘Jaichand’; ‘are you dumb’, comes retort

On April 13, 2019, in his speech at a rally in Karnataka’s Kolar, Rahul Gandhi reportedly asked, “Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi…how come they all have Modi as the common surname. How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?”

Earlier, chief judicial magistrate of the magistrate court AN Dave asked Rahul Gandhi to appear on Friday to record his statement further after the testimony of two new witnesses were taken since the Congress leader last appeared before the court on June 24 this year.

Also read: Italy hosts climate-focused G20 Summit as geopolitics shift

“The court on Monday orally directed Rahul Gandhi to appear on October 29 to record his further statement over the testimonies of two new witnesses. He is likely to remain present before the court between 3pm and 6pm on that day,” Gandhi’s lawyer Kirit Panwala said on Monday, according to news agency PTI.

Purnesh Modi is now a minister in the new Gujarat government led by chief minister Bhupendra Patel, holding the portfolios of road and building, transport, civil aviation and tourism and pilgrimage development.