Rahul Gandhi sentenced to 2 years in prison for Modi defamation, impact on 2024 elections questioned.

An Indian court has sentenced Rahul Gandhi, leader of the Congress Party, to two years in prison for defaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a 2019 campaign rally speech. The court suspended the sentence for 30 days, during which Gandhi can appeal. The conviction comes as Gandhi faces increasing political and legal pressure for his criticism of the Modi government. If his appeal fails, he could be barred from holding office for six years. The Congress Party has vowed to appeal the judgment, while the BJP has accused Gandhi of defaming not only Modi but lower-caste citizens more broadly.