The MLAs of the Maharashtra Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) staged a silent protest outside the state assembly against the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as a Member of Parliament (MP). The MLAs covered their mouths with black bands and sat on the steps of the assembly holding posters, while Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) faction leader Aditya Thackeray and Congress’ Jayant Patil were seen participating in the protest. Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha on Friday from the date of his conviction in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his ‘Modi surname’ remark. The disqualification triggered a political row between the BJP and Congress.
The disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as a Member of Parliament has sparked criticism and outrage from opposition leaders, with some calling it a “black day” for Indian democracy. Leaders from Left parties, Janata Dal-Secular, and NCP have condemned the decision, stating that it is against the basic tenets of the constitution and that it curtails democratic values. Uddhav Thackeray called it a “murder of democracy,” saying that calling a thief a thief has become a crime in India. The disqualification comes after Rahul Gandhi was sentenced to two years in imprisonment in a defamation case over his ‘Modi surname’ remark made during an election rally in Karnataka in 2019.
