The Gujarat High Court has refused to stay the conviction and suspend two years jail sentence given to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, sources said on Friday.

The court’s move comes in connection to the 2019 criminal defamation case against Rahul Gandhi on the ‘Modi surname’ remark. In the build-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha general elections, Rahul Gandhi had allegedly remarked, “How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?” during a public rally at Kolar in Karnataka.

A bench of Justice Hemant M Prachchhak said that the trial court conviction order is proper. Dismissing the congress leader’s plea, the court said that at least 10 criminal cases were pending against him and even after the present case; some more cases have been filed against him.

In April this year, a Gujarat court rejected former Lok Sabha MP and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s appeal for stay on his conviction in the 2019 criminal defamation case on the ‘Modi surname’ remark.

Surat court’s dismissal of the plea means Rahul Gandhi cannot be reinstated as a Member of the Parliament.

On March 23, a Surat court had convicted the Congress leader and sentenced him to two years of imprisonment in a 2019 defamation case that had been filed against him over his alleged derogatory remarks on the “Modi surname”. A day after his conviction, Gandhi was disqualified as Member of Lok Sabha.

Later on April 3, the former Lok Sabha MP filed an appeal to seek a stay on his conviction in the criminal defamation case.