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The United States is monitoring cases related to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi that are going on in Indian courts.

Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson of the US State Department, said this on Monday (local time).

He also said that the US continues to work with the Indian government on their shared commitment to all democratic values, including freedom of expression.

Responding to a question related to Rahul Gandhi's removal from Parliament, Vedant Patel said in a press conference, "Respect for the rule of law and judicial independence is the cornerstone of any democracy, and we stand by Mr. Gandhi's (Rahul Gandhi) Looking into the matter in Indian courts..."

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Lok Sabha MP from Kerala's Wayanad parliamentary constituency, was on Friday disqualified as an MP from the date of his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his remarks on the 'Modi surname'.

Vedant Patel said, "The United States is working with the Indian government on our shared commitment to all democratic values, including, of course, freedom of expression in our interactions with our Indian partners..." will continue to highlight the importance of protecting democratic principles and human rights, including freedom of expression, as a way to strengthen the democracies of the

Asked if the US is in any talks with India or Rahul Gandhi, he said, "I don't have any specifics to give you, but you know it is normal and wherever we have bilateral relations, There we also interact with members of the opposition parties... although I don't have any specifics to give you..."

Significantly, a court in Surat in Gujarat on Thursday convicted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for two years in jail for criminal defamation for his remarks related to the 'Modi surname' made during an election rally in Karnataka in 2019. The sentence was pronounced.

In April 2019, during an election rally in Kolar, Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi had remarked "How can all thieves be surnamed Modi...", following which Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Surat West, Purnesh Modi, attacked Rahul. A criminal defamation case was filed against Gandhi.