Guwahati: The Indian National Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for allegedly plotting to bar Rahul Gandhi from serving in the Lok Sabha.
According to Kharge, the government aims to put an end to the opposition by filing lawsuits against them.
“People like Lalit Modi, Nirav Modi, and Mehul Choksi had looted crores of rupees from the government and fled from this country. Are they from the backward class? The ruling party has made a perception that Rahul was targeting the backward classes with his ‘Modi Surname’ remark, while Rahul was just telling the truth,” Kharge said before the media in New Delhi.
He added that the ruling party might believe that eliminating Rahul’s ability to serve in the Lok Sabha will aid in resolving their problems. “But they are wrong, our demand for the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) into the Adani row is on and we will keep fighting, until our demand is met. For the sake of democracy, if we will have to go to jail, we are ready for that as well,” added Kharge.
Kharge further questioned why the Modi administration is refusing to let the formation of a JPC despite the fact that the BJP will hold the majority of seats in it.
On Friday, a protest march was organised by the opposition parties at Vijay Chowk to call for an investigation into the Adani controversy by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).
Following that, opposition Lawmakers were held by the Delhi police as they were demonstrating at Vijay Chowk.
According to reports, a number of opposition leaders from parties including the CPI, CPI(M), Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray), JD(U), and Aam Aadmi Party marched to Vijay Chowk after a protest inside the Parliament House complex while carrying placards that read “We demand JPC” and “Save LIC,” as well as a large banner in front of them that read “Democracy in Danger.”
On the other hand, All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) Chief Mamata Banerjee attacked the BJP for supposedly focusing on the remarks of the opposition figures.
Taking to her official Twitter handle, Mamata Banerjee said, “In PM 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. Today, we have witnessed a new low for our constitutional democracy.”
Earlier, the Lok Sabha secretariat in a notification issued on Friday read, “Shri Rahul Gandhi, Member of Lok Sabha representing the Wayanad Parliamentary Constituency of Kerala stands disqualified from the membership of Lok Sabha from the date of his conviction i.e. 23 March, 2023 in terms of the provisions of Article 102(1) (e) of the Constitution of India read with Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.”
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had been charged with defamation in 2019 for allegedly making disparaging remarks about the “Modi surname,” and the Surat court had found him guilty and sentenced him to two years in prison a day earlier.
The judge later granted him bail and deferred the sentence for 30 days in order to give him time to file an appeal with a higher court.