New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi firmly stated to the Supreme Court that he would not apologize for his remarks about the connection between the surname "Modi" and thieves. He expressed that if he had intended to apologize and acknowledge any wrongdoing, he would have done so much earlier. In his rejoinder affidavit, the former MP from Wayanad emphasized that defamation is one of the 22 offenses under the Indian Penal Code, which carries a sentence of simple imprisonment. This, he argued, should be considered an exceptional circumstance warranting a stay of the conviction. Rahul Gandhi also addressed the contention of the complainant, BJP MLA Purnesh Modi, who claimed that "Modis" form an identifiable class of people, making him entitled to maintain a complaint under Explanation 2 of Section 499 of IPC, as he is part of that class. In response, Rahul Gandhi pointed out the inconsistencies in the complainant's statements, raising reasonable doubts about whether people with the surname
