Indian opposition dealt major blow as parliament bars Congress leader Rahul Gandhi

Published March 24, 2023
Rahul Gandhi, a senior leader of India’s main opposition Congress party, arrives to appear before a court in Surat in the western state of Gujarat, India, March 23, 2023.—Reuters
Rahul Gandhi, a senior leader of India’s main opposition Congress party, arrives to appear before a court in Surat in the western state of Gujarat, India, March 23, 2023.—Reuters
Supporters of the Youth Congress Party hold placards during a silent protest against the conviction of Rahul Gandhi, senior party leader of India’s main opposition Congress party, in a 2019 Defamation case by a Surat court, on a street in Mumbai, India, March 23, 2023.— Reuters/Francis Mascarenhas
Supporters of the Youth Congress Party hold placards during a silent protest against the conviction of Rahul Gandhi, senior party leader of India’s main opposition Congress party, in a 2019 Defamation case by a Surat court, on a street in Mumbai, India, March 23, 2023.— Reuters/Francis Mascarenhas

India’s parliament disqualified the leader of the opposition Congress party, Rahul Gandhi, on Friday, a day after a magistrate’s court jailed him for two years in a defamation case linked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surname.

Gandhi “stands disqualified from the membership of Lok Sabha”, a parliament notice said, referring to the lower house of parliament.

Gandhi, 52, was found guilty for a 2019 speech in which he referred to thieves as having the surname Modi. He made the comment while campaigning ahead of the last general election.

Gandhi was convicted by a court in the western state of Gujarat, which also granted him bail and suspended the sentence for one month.

A close aide to Gandhi said the leader had already adhered with the court order and did not enter parliament on Friday during house proceedings.

Leaders of the Congress party said they were gearing up to file an appeal in a higher court.

“This battle will be fought both legally and politically,” said Pawan Khera, the national spokesperson of the party.

“Rahul Gandhi will not stop from asking difficult questions and exposing crony capitalism and this government’s active role in promoting and protecting it,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Congress party members held protests in some parts of the country against Gandhi’s conviction and two-year-old jail sentence.

Congress party officials have described the judgment as politically motivated and blamed the government of Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“The BJP is fearful about the rise of Rahul Gandhi and he poses a direct threat to the Modi government,” said Pradip Bhattacharya, a Congress party lawmaker from West Bengal state.

BJP president J.P. Nadda dismissed the charges, and said that Gandhi had insulted a section of Indians who happen to share the same surname as Prime Minister Modi.

“It is one thing to question government regarding the policies, that would be considered a healthy debate, but clearly the Congress has never followed such rules,” he told Reuters.

Opinion

Editorial

Kurram atrocity
22 Nov, 2024

Kurram atrocity

WITH the situation in KP’s Kurram tribal district already volatile for the past several months, the murderous...
Persistent grip
22 Nov, 2024

Persistent grip

PAKISTAN has now registered 50 polio cases this year. We all saw it coming and yet there was nothing we could do to...
Green transport
22 Nov, 2024

Green transport

THE government has taken a commendable step by announcing a New Energy Vehicle policy aiming to ensure that by 2030,...
Military option
Updated 21 Nov, 2024

Military option

While restoring peace is essential, addressing Balochistan’s socioeconomic deprivation is equally important.
HIV/AIDS disaster
21 Nov, 2024

HIV/AIDS disaster

A TORTUROUS sense of déjà vu is attached to the latest health fiasco at Multan’s Nishtar Hospital. The largest...
Dubious pardon
21 Nov, 2024

Dubious pardon

IT is disturbing how a crime as grave as custodial death has culminated in an out-of-court ‘settlement’. The...