Surat: A Gujarat court on Monday granted bail to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi  in a criminal defamation case over the 'Modi surname' on Monday.

He had appealed against the conviction in the Gujarat court.

His next hearing will take place on Apr 13.

Rahul Gandhi was present in the court to file a plea  against a metropolitan court’s order sentencing him to two years in jail.

During the 2019 Lok Sabha poll campaign, Rahul had said, "How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname."

A complaint, which was lodged by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Purnesh Modi, had claimed Rahul had defamed the entire Modi community.

A Surat court had convicted Rahul to a two-year jail imprisonment.

After he was convicted, the Congress leader was disqualified by Parliament's lower house Lok Sabha.

He was an MP from Kerala's Wayanad constituency.