New Delhi, Nov 17 (PTI) BJP leader Purnesh Modi, who had filed a defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Gujarat over his 'Modi surname' remarks, was appointed as the party's in-charge for political affairs in Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman Diu on Friday.

'Bharatiya Janata Party's national president JP Nadda has appointed Purnesh Modi as Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman Diu in-charge and Dushyant Patel co-incharge with immediate effect,' the party said in a notification. Purnesh Modi, the BJP's Surat West MLA, had filed the criminal defamation case in a Surat court against Gandhi after he made the remarks during a rally in Karnataka's Kollar in April 2019.

In March, the Surat court convicted Gandhi and sentenced him to two years imprisonment, following which he was disqualified as an MP from the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency.

Gandhi's Lok Sabha membership was reinstated after the Supreme Court stayed his conviction in August. PTI PK PK ANB ANB