'Clear How Much BJP Is Scared Of Rahul Gandhi': CM Stalin On Disqualification Of Congress Leader

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been disqualified from the Lok Sabha after his conviction in a four-year old defamation case filed against him over his "Modi surname" remarks.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin

Source : PTI

New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin condemned the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha and said it is clear from this move how much the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is scared of the Congress leader.

“It is now clear how much the BJP is scared of Rahul Gandhi. The impact created by Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra is also a reason for BJP’s fear. Nobody from the Union Government has responded so far for any of Rahul Gandhi’s accusations at the Parliament. They have disqualified him with the fear that him entering into Parliament again will jeopardize their politics. By doing so, the BJP has lost all rights to even utter the term democracy,” CM Stalin said.

“I condemn the fascist act of disqualification of India’s young leader Rahul Gandhi in unequivocal terms. This amounts to threatening and curtailing the fundamental democratic right of a national party’s leader and an MP to express his opinion,” the DMK leader added.

“To disqualify Rahul Gandhi as an MP before he could go for an appeal is nothing but snatching away the right of an elected Member of Parliament. Only a trial court has given its verdict as of now. An appeal at the High Court is still on the cards. It is the Supreme Court that should pronounce the final verdict. It seems like the BJP was just waiting for this opportunity going by their act of disqualifying Rahul Gandhi within a day of the District Court’s verdict,” the Tamil Nadu chief minister said.

Condemning the development and demanding the disqualification be revoked, CM Stalin said, “It is not fair for the Union Government to disqualify someone from the Parliament instead of trying to answer the valid questions raised by them. The disqualification of Rahul Gandhi is an onslaught on all the progressive – democratic forces of our country. All the political parties in India shall realise this and we should oppose unitedly.”

Notably, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been disqualified from the Lok Sabha after his conviction in a four-year old defamation case filed against him over his "Modi surname" remarks.

"Consequent upon his conviction by the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Surat in C.C./18712/2019, Shri Rahul Gandhi, Member of Lok Sabha representing the Wayanad Parliamentary Constituency of Kerala stands disqualified from the membership of Lok Sabha from the date of his conviction i.e. 23 March, 2023 in terms of the provisions of Article 102(1)(e) of the Constitution of India read with Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951," the notification by the Lok Sabha Secretariat reads.