Union Home Minister Amit Shah slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was disqualified from membership of the Parliament, saying he wants to continue as an MP yet did not appeal in the court.
"You want to continue as MP and yet won't want to go to court, what kind of arrogance is this?" he asked.
Rahul Gandhi's disqualification row snaballs
A day after being convicted in the 'Modi surname' 2019 defamation case, Rahul Gandhi on Friday was disqualified as Member of Parliament. On Thursday, a court in Gujarat's Surat sentenced Congress leader Gandhi to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his "Modi surname" remarks. However, soon after the court granted him bail and a time period of 30 days to appeal against the quantum of punishment. According to the information, the case was filed against Gandhi for his alleged “how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?” He stated this while addressing a rally at Kolar in Karnataka ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Notably, the complaint against his remarks was lodged by BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi.
Rahul triggers Savarkar row, upsets Thackeray
Just a day after Gandhi was disqualified from Lok Sabha, he held a press conference at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters. When a reporter asked him why did he not apologise? He said, "My name is not Savarkar, it is Gandhi and Gandhi never apologises."
"So, my point is that, democracy is finished in this country, people cannot speak what is on their minds, institutions in this country are being attacked and the mechanism of that attack is the relationship between Narendra Modi and Adani," the Congress leader said. In his remarks at the presser, Gandhi said he will keep asking questions on the Adani issue.
"Ministers lied about me that I called for foreign intervention (abroad), I did not do so," Gandhi said.
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What is the Law
In its judgment dated July 10, 2013, the Supreme Court, while disposing the Lily Thomas v. Union of India case (along with Lok Prahari v. Union of India), ruled that any Member of Parliament (MP), Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) or Member of a Legislative Council (MLC) who is convicted of a crime and given a minimum of two years' imprisonment, loses membership of the House with immediate effect.
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Following Rahul Gandhi's disqualification as a member of Lok Sabha, Gandhi served a notice to vacate the government bungalow allotted to him by April 22. The Housing Committee of the Lok Sabha took the decision following which the secretariat of the House served the notice on the former Congress president, a Z-plus protectee who has been living in the 12, Tughlaq Lane bungalow since 2005. The development is likely to further escalate the political fight between the BJP and the Congress and its allies who have targeted the government over the issue.
Meanwhile, the Opposition parties are continuing their 'black' protest against the BJP-led government over the disqualification of Gandhi and "trampling upon democracy in the country." On Monday, March 27, Opposition members also took out a march in the morning wearing black attire or bands on Parliament premises as part of their protest.
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