No Urgent Hearing of Hardik Patel’s Plea to Stay Conviction in SC

Patel had sought a stay on the conviction to enable him to contest the upcoming general election from Gujarat.

Hardik Patel with Congress President Rahul Gandhi.

(Photo: PTI)

The Supreme Court on Tuesday, 2 April, declined urgent hearing of Congress leader and Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convenor Hardik Patel's plea seeking a suspension of his conviction in a 2015 case relating to rioting, so that he can contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The last date of filling nomination in Gujarat is 4 April.

The Gujarat High Court on Friday rejected his plea seeking suspension of conviction in the case.

According to a report in The Indian Express, Patel’s petition is likely to be mentioned on Tuesday for an urgent hearing and

Patel had earlier sought a stay on the conviction by Mehsana district court, to enable him to contest the upcoming general election from Gujarat.

‘My Only Fault Was That I Didn’t Bow to BJP’

Responding to the HC decision, Patel on Twitter said this will not discourage him from campaigning for the Congress party. He also added that his only fault is that he did not bow to the BJP.

In July 2018, the Mehsana court had convicted him in the rioting and arson case in Visnagar town during the Patel agitation in 2015. The court had ordered a two-year imprisonment in the case.

(With inputs from The Indian Express)