Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has taken his legal battle to the Supreme Court after the Gujarat High Court dismissed his revision plea seeking a stay on his conviction in the criminal defamation case related to his 'Modi Thieves' remark.

The case was filed against Gandhi for his comment made during the 2019 Lok Sabha campaign, where he questioned why "all thieves have the same surname" in reference to individuals like Lalit Modi and Nirav Modi.

BJP MLA Purnesh Modi filed the criminal defamation case, alleging that Gandhi's comment defamed the entire Modi community.

Despite Gandhi's assertion of no malafide intention, he was convicted and sentenced to 2 years in prison by the Surat Chief Judicial Magistrate in March 2023, resulting in his disqualification as a Lok Sabha member.

However, his sentence was suspended, and he was granted bail to file an appeal within 30 days.

The Gujarat High Court, while dismissing his revision plea, emphasized Gandhi's responsibility as a senior leader to protect the dignity and reputation of a large identifiable class.