Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday said the BJP is scared of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and is trying to suppress his voice.

Gandhi raised questions about “Adani” and spoke against three “black” farm laws and the Centre was unable to answer them, said Baghel during a protest after the Gujarat High Court dismissed the former Wayanad MP’s plea seeking a stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his “Modi surname” remark.

He said the BJP-led Centre is trying to suppress Gandhi's voice.

“Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to speak so he took to the street and started his journey from Kanyakumari that culminated in Kashmir (Bharat Jodo Yatra). I was fortunate enough to hand him the flag at Kanyakumari with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot,” he said. When Gandhi started the journey no one thought that he would be able to complete it, the CM said.

“After Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi, the rally ended in Kashmir,” the CM said, adding that “today Rahul Gandhi is the most popular leader in Kashmir”.

The Jammu and Kashmir government tried to stop his rally but still, he hoisted the tricolour at Lal Chowk in Kashmir, Baghel said. Deputy Chief Minister TS Singhdeo, Congress national secretary Chandan Yadav and party’s state chief Mohan Markam were among those who took part in the protest.

A metropolitan magistrate's court in Surat on March 23 sentenced Gandhi to two years in jail after convicting him under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 and 500 (criminal defamation).

Following the verdict, Gandhi was disqualified as a Member of Parliament (MP) under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act.

Gandhi then challenged the order in a sessions court in Surat, which is still pending, along with an application seeking a stay to the conviction. While granting him bail, the sessions court on April 20 refused to stay the conviction, following which, he approached the HC.

The former Congress president made the “how come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?” remark at an election rally at Kolar in Karnataka on April 13, 2019.

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