The disqualification will bar Rahul Gandhi from contesting polls for eight years.
Washington:
Senior Congress chief Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from the Lok Sabha is a “deep betrayal” of Gandhian philosophy, an influential Indian-origin Congressman stated on Friday.
Mr Gandhi, the previous Congress president, was on Friday disqualified from the Lok Sabha, almost 24 hours after a courtroom in Surat convicted him in a defamation case.
“The expulsion of Rahul Gandhi from parliament is a deep betrayal of Gandhian philosophy and India’s deepest values,” Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna stated in a tweet.
The expulsion of Rahul Gandhi from parliament is a deep betrayal of Gandhian philosophy and India’s deepest values. This isn’t what my grandfather sacrificed years in jail for. @narendramodi you might have the facility to reverse this determination for the the sake of Indian democracy. https://t.co/h85qlYMn1J
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) March 24, 2023
“This isn’t what my grandfather sacrificed years in jail for,” Mr Khanna stated. Khanna represents Silicon Valley within the US Home of Representatives.
Mr Khanna, who’s the Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian- Individuals, has sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention on this situation.
“You’ve gotten the facility to reverse this determination for the sake of Indian democracy,” Mr Khanna stated in one other tweet.
The disqualification will bar 52-year-old Mr Gandhi, a four-time MP, from contesting polls for eight years until a better courtroom stays his conviction and sentence.
In the meantime, George Abraham, vice-chair of the Indian Abroad Congress, USA, termed Gandhi’s disqualification as a tragic day for democracy in India.
“It’s a unhappy day for democracy in India. By disqualifying Rahul Gandhi, Modi sarkar is ringing the demise knell for the suitable to free speech and freedom of Indians all over the place,” Mr Abraham stated.
“Bringing a frivolous courtroom case towards a comment within the warmth of a political marketing campaign is shameful and never on par with the spirit of the Structure concerning freedom of expression,” he added.