Rahul Gandhi disqualified: March 24 (Friday) will be noted as an important day in the history of Congress (post-Independence) as its de facto number one leader Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from the Parliament after he was convicted by a Gujarat court. The development came as a rude shock to Congress. The grand old party accused the BJP of doing "vindictive politics.
The entire day was very eventful and first time in recent years all Opposition parties looked united against the ruling BJP.
Look at top ten development of the day:
- Lok Sabha: The Lok Sabha Secretariat on Friday disqualified Gandhi as MP from Wayanad in Kerala a day after a Surat court convicted him in a 2019 criminal defamation case for his remark "How come all thieves have 'Modi' as the common surname?"
- Rahul Gandhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in his first reaction after losing his Lok Sabha membership said that he is fighting for the voice of India and he is ready to pay any price for that. “I am fighting for the voice of India. I am ready to pay any price,” he said in a tweet.
- Congress: The Congress said it will fight the battle legally and politically for its former president. It was supported in its protest by parties such as TMC, AAP, Samajwadi Party, and BRS, which had earlier said they would maintain equal distance from both the BJP and the Congress. Rahul Gandhi will hold a press conference tomorrow.
- Gandhi may not contest for 8 years: According to disqualification rules, he would not be able to contest elections for eight years unless a higher court stays his conviction and sentence.
- What is the Law: In its judgment dated July 10, 2013, the Supreme Court, while disposing of 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.
- Mamata Banerjee: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, whose party, TMC, has been at odds with the Congress over remarks made by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, and has been absent in opposition marches held over the last few weeks, too reacted strongly against Gandhi's disqualification. "In PM (Narendra) 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," Banerjee tweeted. "Today, we have witnessed a new low for our constitutional democracy," she added.
- BJP's attacks: BJP leaders, while criticising Gandhi over his remarks allegedly against the OBC community, stuck to the explanation that his disqualification was a result of a court order and not a political call. Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Anurag Thakur also hit out at the Congress, saying the Nehru-Gandhi family suffers from "feudal mindset" and a "sense of entitlement" as its members believe in a separate set of laws and democratic system for themselves. "Law is equal for everyone," Pradhan told reporters at a press conference, accusing Gandhi of "abusing" backward castes with his "thieves" jibe aimed at "Modi surname."
- Opposition parties get united: Voices of anger, shock and disbelief came from parties such as the RJD, JMM, CPI, CPI-M, Shiv Sena, DMK, and NCP, among others. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal described Gandhi's disqualification as shocking and called on the public to rise against the BJP's "arrogant" power. Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav called for "fighting on the street" against the BJP. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin termed Gandhi's disqualification a "death knell" for democracy as he accused BJP of being vengeful in its politics. BRS chief KCR said that the disqualification of Gandhi was a "Black day" in the history of Indian democracy and shows the height of Narendra Modi's "arrogance and dictatorship. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said the disqualification of Gandhi was a "vendetta battle" and it had exposed the reality of "Amrit Kaal. NCP leader Supriya Sule tweeted, "Totally Disappointing. First P P Mohammed Faizal, Now @RahulGandhi. " Uddhav Thackeray dubbed Gandhi's disqualification as "murder" of democracy and said this is the beginning of the end of "dictatorship. RJD leader Manoj Jha said there is no bigger blot on parliamentary democracy in history than Gandhi's disqualification. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan termed Gandhi's disqualification a "violent attack on democracy" by the Sangh Parivar. "Suppressing dissent by force is a fascist method," Vijayan said in a statement.
- What's next for Rahul Gandhi: According to legal experts, the Lok Sabha Secretariat has declared Rahul Gandhi's Wayanad parliamentary seat vacant. The Election Commission can now announce election on the seat. Rahul Gandhi can also be asked to vacate the government bungalow in Delhi as the notification of his disqualification has also been marked to Liaison Officer, Directorate of Estates, and Parliament Annexe. If the verdict of Rahul Gandhi's sentence is upheld by the higher courts also, then he will not be able to contest elections for the next 8 years. After completing two years of sentence, he will not be able to contest election for next six years. Rahul Gandhi can now challenge the decision of the Surat court in the high court. The Congress has also questioned the legality of the action that only the President can disqualify an MP in consultation with the Election Commission.
- Sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's reaction: In a series of tweets, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra slammed the decision to disqualify his brother Rahul and questioned why no action was taken when PM Modi made the 'Nehru surname' remark in Lok Sabha recently.
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