Rahul Gandhi in Surat court: Rijiju says Congress putting undue pressure on Judiciary as party puts up show of strength

New Delhi: The Congress is trying to exert "undue pressure" on the Judiciary, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju claimed on Monday, questioning the plan by members of the opposition party to accompany Rahul Gandhi to a Surat court.

Gandhi will be in Gujarat's Surat city on Monday to file an appeal in a court against his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remarks.

Senior Congress leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, chief ministers of three Congress-ruled states, other national and state party leaders are likely to accompany him to the court, sources said.

Gandhi's lawyers said the matter is likely to be taken up for hearing by the sessions court on Monday itself.

"My point is very simple -- why Congress party is trying to put this kind of undue pressure on the Judiciary. There are means and ways to deal with judicial matters. But is this the way?" he quipped.

He wondered whether there has been a case in the past where an entire party is trying to 'gherao' a court.

"The ED takes action, they want to gherao ED office. When the CBI takes action, they want to gherao the CBI. When court gives verdict, they want to take over the court complexes. These kind of activities demean democracy and every Indian must condemn it," he told reporters in Parliament House complex.

Dubbing the move of Congress leaders to accompany Gandhi to court as "sycophancy of one family" he wondered whether the family was above the country.