A sessions court in Surat city of Gujarat on Thursday commenced hearing on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's plea for a stay on his conviction in a defamation case over his "Modi surname" remark in which he has been sentenced to two years in jail.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and complainant Purnesh Modi, in his reply filed earlier in the same court, opposed Gandhi's plea for a stay on conviction saying the Congress leader is a "repetitive offender" who is in the habit of making defamatory statements.