Rahul Gandhi had lunch with his "Congress family" in Ahmedabad.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today met Hardik Patel and other party workers over lunch In Ahmedabad where he appeared before a court in a defamation case that was filed against him for calling Home Minister Amit Shah a "murder accused". Mr Gandhi pleaded "not guilty" in the defamation case and was granted bail.

In a tweet, he shared a video where he is seen sitting together with the "Congress family" at a restaurant in Ahmedabad and said he was in the city "to attend a hearing in yet another politically motivated case filed against me".

"Yesterday it was Surat, today it's Ahmedabad - to attend a hearing in yet another politically motivated case filed against me," Mr Gandhi tweeted.

"It was good to connect with members of my Congress family here in the city and to have a meal with them at a local restaurant. I thank them all," he further wrote.

Yesterday it was Surat, today it's Ahmedabad - to attend a hearing in yet another politically motivated case filed against me.



It was good to connect with members of my Congress family here in the city and to have a meal with them at a local restaurant. I thank them all ???? pic.twitter.com/A0sgcjYVEF — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 11, 2019

Hardik Patel, who joined Congress earlier this year and was barred from contesting the national elections by a Gujarat High Court over his conviction in a 2015 rioting case, was seen eating traditional Gujarati food in visuals shared by news agency ANI.

In the defamation case filed against him for calling Amit Shah a "murder accused" at an election rally in Jabalpur six months ago, Mr Gandhi was granted a bail on a bond of Rs 10,000 by the court of additional chief metropolitan magistrate RB Etaliya this afternoon.

Mr Gandhi's lawyer moved an application for personal exemption of his client in the case after his "not guilty" plea was recorded by the court. Next hearing has been set for December 7 when the court will also take up his personal exemption application.

The defamation case was filed by BJP corporator Krishnavadan Brahmbhatt. Mr Gandhi's jibe was slanderous as Mr Shah was acquitted in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh fake encounter case in 2015, the complainant said.

On Thursday, Mr Gandhi appeared before a Surat court to plead "not guilty" in connection with a defamation case filed after he allegedly said: "... all thieves have Modi as common surname" at an election rally in Karnataka ahead of national elections.

(With inputs from PTI, ANI)