New Delhi, Oct. 10 -- Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said he was in Surat to appear in a defamation case by 'political opponents' and thanked his supporters for expressing their solidarity with him.

''I am in Surat today to appear in a defamation case filed against me by my political opponents, desperate to silence me,'' Mr Gandhi said in a tweet.

The Congress said he was grateful for the love and support of the Congress workers who have gathered to express their solidarity with him.

BJP MLA Purnesh Modi had filed a complaint against Mr Gandhi under IPC sections 499 and 500 for allegedly saying ''Why all thieves share the Modi surname'' during Lok Sabha elections campaign in earlier this year.

Mr Gandhi appeared before a Sura...