Final verdict will also come in favour of Rahul Gandhi, says Hooda

Chandigarh, Aug 4 (IANS) Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Friday welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court verdict about Rahul Gandhi in the defamation case against him for “mocking” Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surname.

“It is expected that the final verdict will also come in favour of Rahul Gandhi as such a verdict has never come in the case of defamation. There is a clear message from this decision that Rahul Gandhi’s voice cannot be suppressed,” Hooda said in a statement here.

He said Rahul Gandhi had already said, “We have full faith in the judicial process.”

About the violence in Haryana’s Nuh district, he said this was the result of the failure of the BJP-JJP government.

“Had the government taken timely steps, this violence would not have happened. The Congress has demanded a judicial inquiry under the supervision of the high court.”

“BJP leader and Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh has himself accepted that there is a government lapse. The government proved to be a complete failure in understanding the sensitivity and condition of the matter and taking precautionary measures. Even the local police had already reported the tense situation to the government.

“Despite this, appropriate steps were not taken by the government. But now the law should take all necessary steps. Instigators and rioters should be punished severely,” Hooda added.