The news of Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from the Lok Sabha due to his conviction in a criminal defamation case is certainly a setback for the Congress party. As per the Section 8(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, an MP stands disqualified from the membership of Lok Sabha the moment he or she is convicted of any offence and sentenced for at least two years. In this case, Rahul Gandhi’s conviction has resulted in his disqualification from the Lok Sabha. The Congress party has called it a conspiracy to silence Rahul Gandhi, who has been raising questions on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s alleged relationship with Gautam Adani, a billionaire industrialist. Rahul Gandhi has been demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the issue, and this disqualification has only intensified the political rivalry between the Congress party and the ruling government.
Senior Congress leaders like Manish Tewari and Shashi Tharoor have expressed their disagreement with the decision, stating that the Lok Sabha secretariat cannot disqualify an MP, and the President has to do it in consultation with the Election Commission. Tharoor has also expressed his concern about the decision, stating that it is politics with the gloves off and bodes ill for democracy. Overall, this disqualification is likely to have political repercussions, and it remains to be seen how it will impact the Congress party’s future prospects. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has accused the BJP of trying to distract from the issue of corruption and money laundering by focusing on Rahul Gandhi’s conviction in the criminal defamation case. He stated that the Congress party is seeking answers as to who ran away with people’s money and that the BJP is trying to divert attention from the main issue.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also criticized BJP chief JP Nadda for distorting facts and indulging in the politics of defamation. He further questioned the legality of the move to disqualify Rahul Gandhi, stating that it is only the President who can disqualify MPs in consultation with the Election Commission. A court in Gujarat’s Surat sentenced Rahul Gandhi to two years in jail in the criminal defamation case, filed on a complaint by BJP MLA Purnesh Modi for his alleged remark, “How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?” The court granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal to a higher court.Rahul Gandhi’s team has stated that he plans to challenge the verdict in a higher court. If the verdict is not cancelled by any higher court, Rahul Gandhi will not be allowed to contest elections for the next eight years. The political fallout from this verdict is likely to continue, with the Congress party and the BJP engaging in a war of words over the issue.
