The Congress on Friday said it will launch a 'Jan-Andolan' across India after Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha following his conviction in a defamation case.
Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Friday claimed Rahul Gandhi would not have been disqualified from Lok Sabha had he apologised for his alleged critical remarks about the Indian democracy.
Gandhi is a senior leader and was the president of the Congress, he should have known he should not speak "against the country" during a visit abroad, Athawale told reporters in Jammu. (PTI)
The BJP on Friday suggested that a conspiracy within the Congress might have played a role in its leaders not approaching a higher court for relief for Rahul Gandhi after his conviction as it had done so in the case of Pawan Khera within hours of the Assam Police arresting him.
"The Nehru-Gandhi family suffers from sense of entitlement and feudal mindset, it should know that thelaw is equal for everyone," BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan said, hours after the Congress MP's disqualification from Parliament.
We will get a stay on the conviction against Rahul Gandhi, thereby removing the basis of the disqualification, says Congress leaderAbhishek Singhvi.
Rahul has spoken in the interest of public welfare repeatedly for all issues, be it political or economic. Whether it was demonetisation, GST and China, the government repels these topics and also doesn't allow anyone to speak on them: Abhishek Manu Singhvi
Immediate issuance of a disqualification for Rahul is questionable, says Abhishek Manu Singhvi
Though the conviction of Rahul Gandhi is by a court, the disqualification in Parliament has to be by the President of India. Before doing that, the President has to take a recommendation from the ECI. This was not done: Abhishek Manu Singhvi
"A complaint was filed in April 16, 2019 in Surat. The magistrate in one Mr Dave. In June 2021, Rahul Gandhi appears in the court to record his statement in person. In March 2022, the complainant files another plaint against Rahul. At that point, the complainant goes through the HC to get a stay on his own complaint. After a hiatus of 11 months, the complainant wakes up suddenly in April 2023, and pleads for vacation of his judgment. And then we get this judgement,"Manu Singhvi tells the media.
A Congress party briefing by Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Jairam Ramesh is on.
On the back of Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Parliament, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said that the party will convene a meeting of senior leaders at 5 pm on Friday to discuss steps to fight Rahul's disqualification.
India's parliament on Friday disqualified opposition Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi as a lawmaker after a lower court found him guilty of defamation and sentenced him to two years in prison, according to a parliament notice. (Reuters)
PTI
Congress MPRahulGandhiarrives at Parliament House complex during Budget Session, in New Delhi, Friday, March 24, 2023. Credit: PTI Photo
AsRahulGandhi's conviction triggered a political slugfest, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday took a fresh dig at him saying one cannot blame allGandhisurnames just because the Congress leader "insulted" Indian democracy, its armed forces and country's institutions.
RahulGandhi's conviction in a 2019 criminal defamation case by a Surat court has been slammed by opposition parties, including the AAP, which rallied behind the former Congress chief and accused the ruling party of "hatching a conspiracy to eliminate" its political opponents by prosecuting them.
PTI
Congress legislators stage a protest after a Surat court convicted Congress leaderRahulGandhiin a criminal defamation case on Thursday, in Patna, Friday, March 24, 2023. Credit: PTI Photo
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday refuted BJP chief J P Nadda's allegation thatRahulGandhicompared OBC communities to thieves and accused the ruling party of indulging in "caste politics".
Amid a political fight between the BJP and the Congress followingGandhi's conviction in a defamation case over the "Modi surname" remarks, Nadda alleged that "lies, personal slander and negative politics is integral" to his politics.
PTI
The United Nations is aware of the reports about Congress leaderRahulGandhi's two-year jail sentence and that his party plans to appeal the verdict, a spokesperson for the UN chief Antonio Guterres has said.
Farhan Haq, the Deputy Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, was responding to a question at a press briefing here on Thursday on whether Guterres was “worried about democracy” in India.
"I can say that we're aware of the reports regarding the case ofRahulGandhi. We understand that his party does plan to appeal the decision. That's as much as I can say on that at this stage,” Haq said.
PTI
A day afterRahulGandhiwas sentenced in a 2019 criminal defamation case, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Friday said legal processes are used far too often for political ends and both the process and the outcome are "bizarre".
PTI
Parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday claimed that during the course of the inquiry, the Surat court, which sentenced Rahul Gandhi to a two-year jail term in a criminal defamation case, asked the Congress leader 'again and again if he will apologise, but he refused. Joshi also alleged that when the court pronounced the verdict, Gandhi was not apologetic, describing the Congress MP as a habitual offender.
The Congress has called an urgent meeting of its steering committee members, PCC presidents, CLP leaders and frontal organization chiefs at party headquarter in Delhi at 5 pm today. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge will preside over the meeting.
A sword of disqualification hangsover Congress MP Rahul Gandhi following his conviction and sentence of two-year jail in a defamation case by a Surat court on Thursday.
The Supreme Court in a landmark verdict in the Lily Thomas case in 2013 declared that an MP or an MLA would stand disqualified immediately upon conviction. In his case, the Surat court suspended the sentence but he would have to seek a stay on his conviction before an appellate court in order to retain his membership of Lok Sabha.
Congress will start countrywide protests from Friday in solidarity with its top leader Rahul Gandhi facing a jail term in a defamation case, which they claim is “politically motivated”.
The party MPs will also hold a protest in Vijay Chowk, just outside Parliament House, while attempts will be made to meet President Droupadi Murmu to impress upon her about the developments, sources said on Thursday night.