The Congress on Thursday said former party chief Rahul Gandhi will file an appeal against a Gujarat court verdict holding him guilty in a 2019 criminal defamation case, and alleged that the government was after him for speaking the truth and bringing to light its "misdeeds".

A court in Surat sentenced Gandhi to two years in jail in the case, filed on a complaint by BJP MLA Purnesh Modi for his alleged remark, "How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?" The court also granted Gandhi bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court, his lawyer Babu Mangukiya said.

While Rahul Gandhi, who was present in court, later quoted Mahatma Gandhi on truth and non-violence, a host of Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, spoke out angrily on the matter.

"My religion is based on truth and non-violence. Truth is my God, non-violence the means to get to it -- Mahatma Gandhi,'' Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi soon after the court verdict.

In another tweet, he paid tributes to freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru on their martyrdom day, saying they have learnt fighting fearlessly for the country holding on to truth and courage from these brave sons of Mother India.

In a tweet in Hindi, Kharge said, "Coward, dictatorial BJP government is incensed at Rahul Gandhi and Opposition because we are exposing their misdeeds and demanding a JPC." "Under its political bankruptcy, the Modi government sends police, ED and imposes cases on political speeches. We will appeal in the higher court," he said.

Saying that an appeal will be filed in the matter, Kharge slammed the BJP. If they point one finger at others there are four fingers pointed at them also, he told reporters.

"We knew such a thing could happen... they kept changing judges. But we have faith in the judiciary and will fight as per the law." Priyanka Gandhi also took to Twitter to back her brother and attack the BJP.

"A scared machinery of power is trying to suppress the voice of Rahul Gandhi through 'saam, daam, dand, bhed' (every trick in the book)." "My brother has never been afraid, nor will he ever be. He has lived his life speaking the truth, will continue to speak the truth, will continue to raise the voice of the people of the country," she said in a tweet in Hindi.

Reacting to the development, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "This is new India, If you raise your voice against injustice, then ED-CBI, police, FIR will be imposed.

"Rahul Gandhi ji is also being punished for speaking the truth, for raising his voice against a dictator." The law of the country gives an opportunity of appeal to Rahul Gandhi and he will exercise this right, he said.

The Congress said in a tweet in Hindi, "Everyone knows, Rahul Gandhi ji is raising his voice against a dictator. Showing the courage to call a wrong, a wrong.

"The dictator is rattled by this courage. He is trying to intimidate sometimes via ED, sometimes via police, sometimes via case, sometimes via punishment," the party said.

"We will fight and win," it said. The party's media department head Pawan Khera said Rahul Gandhi would continue to question the government.

"Shah & Shahanshah want an India where a silent opposition is lying in the corner of a room, where an obedient media dances to their tune, where subservient agencies work on their directions. Rahul Gandhi does not let that happen...," he said on Twitter.

His party colleague Digvijaya Singh added that the situation now is that there is defamation just by taking the name of Modi.

"It must be looked at in what context the comments were made, Gandhi was talking about those who have run away with the country's money," Singh told reporters outside Parliament.

Congress' Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel hailed Rahul Gandhi as one fighting for truth who would not succumb to government pressure.

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