The Congress on Thursday decided to take to the streets against Rahul Gandhi’s conviction and meet the President of India with other parties. “We’ll approach the Sessions court on this,” Rahul Gandhi’s lawyer, Adv Kirit Panwala told TIMES NOW. “That’s why we say democracy is under threat,” Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot asserted.

Tipra Motha Party (TMP)chief Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman said that union home minister Amit shah called him up and assured to appoint an interlocutor for talks by March 27.Tipra is demanding a separate state of Tipraland. Opposition CPI-M and the Congress, which together fought the February 16 Tripura Assembly polls, on Thursday fielded a joint candidate against the ruling BJP for the Assembly Speakers election. The opposition camp is eyeing support of TMP.

Deb Barman tweeted, “Woke up to an early morning call from the hon home minister @AmitShah to enquire about my health . He also categorically assured me that by the 27th of this month an interlocutor will be announced for our talks regarding the constitutional solution for our indigenous people of Tripura . I hope the home minister will understand the sentiments of the tiprasa and honour the commitment he has given to me.”

After a two-hour long meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently, Deb Barman said that the Union government would soon appoint an interlocutor to study and resolve the demands of the TMP within three months.He told the media that Shah has assured that like in the case of Nagaland, an interlocutor would be appointed to look after and resolve the demands of TMP within three months or a specific time frame.

“If we find satisfactory constitutional solutions to our demands, we would sign an accord with the Central government. Unless and until our demands are resolved, we will not join the BJP-led government in Tripura,”Deb Barman said.

The first three-day session of the newly-constituted Tripura Assembly will begin on Friday with the election of a new Speaker.CPI-M has 11 members and Congress has three. Opposition has fielded Congress leader Gopal Roy against BJP’s Biswa Bandhu Sen. Sen was Deputy Speaker in the earlier BJP led government. Roy and Sen filed their nomination papers on Thursday.

TMP has 13 seats while BJP has won 32 seats its ally Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) got one seat.

Deb Barman said that his party’s stand would be finalised after his meeting with the party’s 13 MLAs.

Tripura Congress President and MLA Birajit Sinha had earlier said that the TMP would support Gopal Roy for the Speaker’s post.

BJP in the run up polls has ruled out the creation of a separate state.

A magisterial court in Surat on Thursday held Congress leader Rahul Gandhi guilty of defamation over a 2019 speech and sentenced him two years in jail, in an order that could cost the MP from Wayand, Kerala, his Lok Sabha membership.Under the Representation of People Act, an elected member sentenced to two years or more in jail faces disqualification from the position the person was holding.

The court granted him bail on a bond of `10,000 and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court.

BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi had filed a criminal defamation case against the Congress leader in 2019, following his comment, “how come all the thieves have Modi as a common surname”, at an election rally in Kolar, Karnataka. Purnesh Modi claimed that the reference had defamed the entire Modi community.Chief judicial magistrate HH Verma ruled that the accused had deliberately insulted the people with the “Modi” surname.

During the hearing on sentencing, while Gandhi maintained that he had only raised issues of public interest and did not have any mala fide intention to insult anyone, the prosecution demanded maximum punishment stating that he is a member of Parliament where laws are enacted and hence any leniency to him would send a wrong message. The prosecution had also argued that the accused had to tender a written apology to the Supreme Court in another case and was warned by SC to be careful.

In the order, the court observed there was apparently no change of conduct of the accused even after the Supreme Court warning. Also, being an MP, his address to people is a serious matter, it said.
“That is why the offence becomes very serious and if the accused is given a light sentence, then a wrong message will go to the people and will not serve the purpose of defamation and anyone will defame anyone easily,” it added.

“They (BJP govt) want to get him ousted (from Lok Sabha). Person who speaks the truth & exposes you, you want to remove him through such means. Nobody gets two-year jail for defamation, someone is given one year, six months, or apology is sought, but provision for (disqualification) is two years and that is why they have applied it in complete… Coward, dictatorial BJP govt is incensed at Rahul Gandhi and Oppn because we are exposing their misdeeds and demanding JPC… Modi government sends police and ED, and imposes cases on political speeches,” said Mallikarjun Kharge.