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Purnesh Modi (born Purnesh Bhootwala)^[1][2] is an MLA from the Gujarat Legislative Assembly and the current Deputy Speaker of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly. He won the by-election for the 13th Legislative Assembly in Gujarat following the death of the then MLA Kishor Vankawala. He lives in the Adajan area of Surat with his family.^[3]

Political career

Modi won the by-election held on 4 December 2013 for the Surat West Assembly constituency.^[4] He was re-elected from the same seat in the 2017 and 2022 elections.

Rahul Gandhi case

In 2019, Modi filed a criminal defamation case against Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi for remarks comparing Prime Minister Narendra Modi with fugitives such as Lalit Modi and Nirav Modi.^[5][6][7]

Gandhi had remarked, "Why do all thieves, be it Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi or Narendra Modi, have Modi in their names?"^[8][9]

Modi had earlier sought a stay on the case he initiated, which was later lifted after a change of judge.^[10]

On 23 March 2023, a Surat court convicted Gandhi and sentenced him to two years' imprisonment. Following the Representation of the People Act, 1951, he was disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha on 24 March 2023.^[11][12]

On 4 August 2023, the Supreme Court of India stayed Gandhi's conviction pending appeal.^[13]

References