The Congress staged a rail roko in Kumbakonam and Virudhachalam in Tamil Nadu while party lawmakers resorted to a "black band" protest in front of the State Assembly here on Thursday condemning the sentencing of party leader Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case.

TNCC chief K S Alagiri, on a personal visit to Kumbakonam, resorted to a sudden rail roko, along with some party functionaries, at the railway station as news spread about a Surat court pronouncing its verdict on Gandhi in a criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remark.

"There was no direct reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gandhi's election campaign. He had made a passing reference to those having a common surname," Alagiri later told reporters. He slammed the BJP government at the Centre for branding all those who opposed Modi as anti-nationals.

Alagiri, later boarded the Cholan Express to reach Chennai. Party cadres staged a rail roko in Virudhachalam, too.

A Surat court in Gujarat sentenced Rahul Gandhi to two years in jail in a criminal defamation for his Modi surname remark in the 2019 general election campaign in Karnataka in a case filed against the Wayanad MP by BJP legislator and former Gujarat Minister Purnesh Modi. The Congress leader was granted bail and given a month's time to respond.

Meanwhile, party MLAs led by Congress Legislative Party leader K Selvaperunthagai staged a sudden agitation in front of the Tamil Nadu Assembly here sporting black bands on their foreheads. They raised slogans condemning the Central government. Legislators Ruby Manoharan, J G Prince, and S Vijaya Dharani were among those who participated. The sudden agitation caused some commotion in the area.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.