"My father, brother associated with Congress": Supreme Court judge Justice BR Gavai offers to recuse from Rahul Gandhi plea

Supreme Court judge Justice BR Gavai on Friday revealed his family's ties with the Congress party, stating that his father was associated with the grand old party and his brother is still an active member of the party. .The judge disclosed the same while hearing the plea filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi seeking stay on the conviction and two-year jail term imposed on him by a Gujarat court in a criminal defamation case for his remark "All thieves have Modi surname". He, therefore, offered to recuse from hearing the case."My father was associated (with Congress). He was not a congress member but he was closely associated. Mr Singhvi you are with congress for more than 40 years and my brother is still in politics and he is in Congress. Please take a call if you want me to hear this," Justice Gavai said.Both parties, however, said that they had no objection to Justice Gavai hearing the matter.The bench also comprising Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra then proceeded to issue notice to the respondents Purnesh Ishwarbhai Modi and the State of Gujarat and posted the case for further consideration on August 4..The Court was hearing the appeal filed by the Congress leader and former Wayanad MP, challenging Gujarat High Court's refusal to stay the conviction and two-year jail term imposed on him by the Magistrate court in Gujarat.The now disqualified parliamentarian was convicted by a Magistrate court in Surat on March 23 for his remark that he had made at an election rally in Karnataka's Kolar constituency, in 2019.Gandhi had, in his speech linked Prime Minister Narendra Modi with fugitives like Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi.He had said,"Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi. How come all the thieves have 'Modi' as a common surname?"The proceedings in the instant case arose after Purnesh Modi, a former BJP Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), had taken exception to the the remarks in question, claiming that Gandhi humiliated and defamed persons with the Modi surname.The Magistrate court convicted him for the same.A sessions court in Surat, on April 20, dismissed Gandhi's plea seeking suspension of his conviction by the Magistrate court.Gandhi then moved the High Court, which too refused to extend relief to him, leading to the present appeal before the top court.Read more here..[Read live coverage of hearing below]