Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday called the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha the "darkest day in Indian democracy". According to Kharge, the BJP government manipulated the situation from start to finish.
"This began with the filing of a defamation case against Rahul Gandhi in 2019 in Kolar, Karnataka, and ended with his disqualification the very next day of his conviction," Kharge was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. Kharge said that if one looks at the timeline of the entire case, the manipulations of the BJP government become evident. Kharge added that such actions are condemnable and destroy the democratic norms of the country. He said that they push India towards a dictatorial regime.
Last week, a Surat court sentenced Rahul Gandhi to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his "why all thieves have Modi surname" remark. Following the sentence, he was disqualified from the Lok Sabha. Since Rahul Gandhi's disqualification as a Lok Sabha MP, the Congress has strengthened its attack against the ruling BJP. The Congress has now planned a 30-day intense protest campaign from April 1. Various forms of protests will be organised at the block, state, and national levels across the country under this campaign.
Amid the Congress's allegations of suppressing the democracy, other nations like Germany and US have also 'taken note' of the issue. At a press briefing on Thursday, Germany's foreign ministry spokesperson said,"we have taken note of the verdict of first instance against Indian opposition politician Rahul Gandhi as well as the suspension of his parliamentary mandate." "To our knowledge, Mr Gandhi is in a position to appeal the verdict. It will then become clear whether this verdict will stand and whether the suspension of his mandate has any basis," the spokesperson was quoted as saying by German broadcaster Deutsche Welle.
Earlier on March 27, the US State Department's Deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said: "Respect for the rule of law and judicial independence is a cornerstone of any democracy. We are watching Mr Gandhi's case in Indian courts and we engage with the Government of India on our shared commitment to democratic values, including, freedom of expression."
Kharge also reacted to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's claim that the CBI, under the Congress-led UPA regime, had pressured him to name then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi in the Shorabuddin case. "I don't want to say much about him. Home Minister always misguides, he always lies. In Rahul Gandhi's case, he has been disqualified at a lightning speed. I think nowhere in the country did such a thing happen," Kharge was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
"Today you might have seen a man, who is convicted, has been reinstated by Speaker before the Supreme Court hearing. You can imagine with what vengeance they are acting against Rahul Gandhi. We will face it and our legal team is working," he added.
The Congress president made these comments during the inauguration of the year-long centenary celebrations of the Vaikom Satyagraha, which was a renaissance movement against untouchability and linked to temple access.
The Vaikom Satyagraha began on March 30, 1924, and ended on November 23, 1925. It was a non-violent protest that sought access to the prohibited public areas of the Vaikom Temple in the Kingdom of Travancore for all castes. The movement was a significant milestone in the Indian Independence struggle and in the fight against untouchability.
(With PTI inputs.)