Day after conviction, Rahul disqualified as MP
Congress gets into huddle, says will fight legally, politically; Oppn rallies behind Gandhi; BJP terms action ‘lawful’
NEW DELHI/CHENNAI: In a big blow to the Congress, its leader Rahul Gandhi was on Friday disqualified from Lok Sabha, nearly 24 hours after a Surat court convicted him in a defamation case, an action the opposition party slammed as BJP’s “vindictive politics” and vowed to fight legally and politically.
The BJP dismissed the charges and termed the action “lawful”.
Announcing his disqualification, the Lok Sabha Secretariat in a notification said following his conviction by the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Surat, Rahul Gandhi, Member of Lok Sabha representing the Wayanad constituency of Kerala stands disqualified from the membership of the House from the date of
This fascist action...this intimidating tone of action appears to send a message across that even the leader of the national party and MP does not have the democratic right to express his opinion
— MK Stalin, TN Chief Minister (DMK)
his conviction i.e. 23 March 2023.
The disqualification will bar 52-year-old Gandhi, a four-time MP, from contesting polls for eight years unless a higher court stays his conviction and sentence.
The court in Surat sentenced on Thursday Gandhi to two years in jail in a defamation case, filed on a complaint by BJP MLA Purnesh Modi for his remark, “How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?” A lawmaker can escape disqualification under the Representation of the People (RP) Act if the jail term, which should be two years or above, and the conviction is stayed by the appellate court. Gandhi will have to move an appellate court for relief and subsequently to the Lok Sabha Secretariat to seek restoration of his status as an MP after getting
In PM Modi’s New India, Opposition leaders have become the prime target of BJP! While BJP leaders with criminal antecedents are inducted into the cabinet, Opposition leaders are disqualified for their speeches
— Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal CM (TMC)
They want to create such an environment that there is only one party and only one leader left in the country. They want all the other leaders and parties to be finished. This is called dictatorship
— Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Chief Minister (AAP)
a favourable judicial order in the defamation case.
The action against Rahul also saw a shift in the dynamics of opposition ranks with Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Bharat Rashtra Samithi and Samajwadi Party, despite their differences with the Congress, expressing strong support for the embattled leader, along with several other opposition parties.
This was Gandhi’s fourth LS term. First elected in 2004 from Amethi, he represented it for two more terms. In 2019, he lost Amethi to Smriti Irani but managed to win from Wayanad.
Hours before the notification was issued, Gandhi attended Lok Sabha proceedings in the morning session. Before the proceedings commenced, he also participated in a meeting of party MPs.
Rahul Gandhi made very derogatory remark and disgraced an entire OBC community. We can’t blame all Gandhi surnames just because Rahul Gandhi insulted Indian democracy, our Armed forces & India’s Institutions
— Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Law and Justice (BJP)
Fighting for voice of India; ready to pay any price: Rahul
In his first reaction after disqualification, Rahul Gandhi in a tweet said, “I am fighting for the voice of India. I am ready to pay any price.” While Congress leaders did not speak openly on the consequences of the verdict and disqualification, many leaders in the party feel this will help Rahul Gandhi and the party politically.
Tension at Kamalalayam as Cong workers attempt siege
Tension prevailed at Tamil Nadu BJP headquarters, Kamalalayam in Chennai on Friday night as Congress workers gathered to attempt a siege. However, city police rushed to the spot and stopped the Congress workers who were chanting slogans against PM Modi and BJP.
CHENNAI: CPM and CPI on Friday condemned the BJP at the Centre for vindictive action against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by disqualifying him from the MP post even as the Surat court has suspended the sentence for 30 days.
In a statement, CPM state secretary K Balakrishnan said that the BJP government has been abusing its power to take vindictive actions against political opponents. “As part of such vindictive actions, Rahul Gandhi has been disqualified despite being given time to appeal. Such undemocratic and threatening actions cannot be tolerated,” he said.
CPI state secretary R Mutharasan said that his party condemns the merciless massacre of democracy by the BJP.