The Lok Sabha Secretariat disqualified Rahul Gandhi as an MP immediately
New Delhi:
Several Opposition events – regardless of their variations with the Congress – together with Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress and Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party, reacted sharply to the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as a Member of the Parliament following his conviction and two-year jail sentence in a defamation case.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee mentioned Opposition leaders have turn into the prime goal of the BJP in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “new India”.
“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. Today, we have witnessed a new low for our constitutional democracy,” mentioned Ms Banerjee.
In PM Modi’s New India, Opposition leaders have turn into the prime goal of BJP!
While BJP leaders with felony antecedents are inducted into the cupboard, Opposition leaders are disqualified for his or her speeches.
Today, we’ve got witnessed a brand new low for our constitutional democracy
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) March 24, 2023
“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. Today, we have witnessed a new low for our constitutional democracy,” mentioned Ms Banerjee.
Arvind Kejriwal tore into the Central leadership over the court docket’s order on Rahul Gandhi and Lok Sabha’s swift transfer after it. “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,” he mentioned.
“But today’s government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is more dangerous than the British rule. This is not just a Congress fight. This is a fight to save the country,” mentioned the Delhi Chief Mnister.
AAP chief and a minister in Mr Kejriwal’s cupboard Saurabh Bhardwaj questioned if the Opposition’s voice is suppressed, “who will raises the people’s issues?”
“We have a lot of differences with the Congress. Whenever the Centre attacked us, Congress leaders even clapped. When the Lieutenant Governor attacked the Delhi Chief Minister, their leader Ajay Maken had clapped. If the Centre suppresses Opposition’s voice in a democracy, then who will raises the people’s issues? The Opposition had been suppressed in the Parliament many time. But now, dozens of cases are filed over petty issues. If this has to continue, then let the Prime Minister and BJP alone contest all elections with no opposition. That is dictatorship,” mentioned AAP chief and Delhi minister Saurabh Bhardwaj.
Uddhav Thackeray, who heads the Shiv Sena (UBT) get together, on Friday dubbed Mr Gandhi’s disqualification as “murder” of democracy and said this is the beginning of the end of “dictatorship”.
“This is the murder of democracy. All agencies are under pressure. This is the beginning of the end of the dictatorship…the battle only needs a direction (now),” Mr Thackeray mentioned.
Lalu Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Manoj Jha known as the disqualification “shameful and unfortunate”. “Nothing can be a bigger blot in the history of parliamentary democracy,” the MP mentioned.
CPI chief Binoy Viswam requested the place India was going as a democracy. “Where is our democracy heading to? For a speech made in Kolar, case in Surat, that too after how many years? Anybody of their dislike can be booked for whatever reason they decide! Today it is Rahul Gandhi, tomorrow it can be you or me. Time to unite in defence of democracy,” he said.
Danish Ali, an MP from Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party, claimed, “If MPs have been to lose their membership on such issues of defamation, then 70 per cent of parliamentarians will lose their membership, most of them being from the BJP.”
The Lok Sabha Secretariat disqualified Rahul Gandhi as MP from Wayanad in Kerala a day after a court in Surat convicted him in a defamation case and sentenced him to two years in jail, while also providing bail for 30 days to appeal the decision. Mr Gandhi would not be able to contest elections for eight years unless a higher court stays his conviction and sentence.
“My faith is predicated on fact and non-violence. Truth is my God, non-violence the means to get it,” tweeted the Wayanad MP quoting Mahatma Gandhi, in his first comment after the verdict.
The Congress party came down heavily on the ruling BJP and its president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “They do not wish to hold those that are talking the reality however we are going to proceed to talk the reality.”
“If wanted we’ll go to jail to avoid wasting democracy,” he added.
Senior leader Shashi Tharoor expressed shock over the prompt action within a day of his conviction and called it “politics with gloves off”.
I’m stunned by this action and by its rapidity, within 24 hours of the court verdict and while an appeal was known to be in process. This is politics with the gloves off and it bodes ill for our democracy. pic.twitter.com/IhUVHN3b1F
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) March 24, 2023
“I’m surprised by this motion and by its rapidity, inside 24 hours of the court docket verdict and whereas an attraction was identified to be in course of. This is politics with the gloves off and it bodes in poor health for our democracy,” said the Thiruvananthapuram MP.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot targeted the BJP over its “dictatorship”.
“The suspension of Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha membership is one other instance of dictatorship. BJP shouldn’t neglect that that they had adopted the identical methodology towards Mrs. Indira Gandhi additionally and needed to face the implications. Rahul Gandhi is the voice of the nation which can be stronger now towards this dictatorship,” the Congress veteran tweeted in Hindi.
Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan claimed Mr Gandhi’s disqualification shows Prime Minister Narendra Modi is afraid of him.
“Rahul Gandhi has been disqualified as an MP. We had suspected this as quickly as the 2 years jail time period was pronounced – that is important to cancel anybody’s membership (of the House). They might have pronounced a six-month or one-year jail time period however the two-year time period meant that that they had an extra plan they usually did it immediately. I condemn this motion. This reveals how terrified of Rahul Gandhi is Narendra Modi,” he said.
Among other Congress leaders who targeted the BJP over Mr Gandhi’s disqualification were Jairam Ramesh and Srinivas BV.
Black Day for Indian Democracy!
पिछले 9 सालों से BJP को संसद में जिस आवाज़ से सबसे ज्यादा डर लगता था, आज उसको संसद में फिलहाल के लिए खामोश करा दिया गया है
अब सड़कों पर इंकलाब का सैलाब आएगा! ये राहुल गांधी है, जिन्हें खामोश करना मुश्किल ही नही नामुमकिन है
डरपोक तानाशाह शर्म करो pic.twitter.com/9OUVvN7BP8
— Srinivas BV (@srinivasiyc) March 24, 2023
We will fight this battle both legally and politically. We will not be intimidated or silenced. Instead of a JPC into the PM-linked Adani MahaMegaScam, @RahulGandhi stands disqualified. Indian Democracy Om Shanti. pic.twitter.com/d8GmZjUqd5
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) March 24, 2023
The defamation case pertains to Mr Gandhi’s alleged “how come all thieves have Modi because the widespread surname” remark at a pre-election rally in Karnataka’s Kolar. A former Gujarat minister had filed a complaint alleging he had defamed the entire Modi community.