Rahul Gandhi, the leader of India’s opposition, has vowed to continue advocating for democracy after attributing his expulsion from the parliament to his requests for an investigation into a significant business associate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Following his conviction for defamation in Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Modi, for a remark made on the campaign trail in 2019 that was perceived as an insult to the leader, Gandhi, 52, was relieved of his parliamentary position on Friday.
Gandhi declared he would not submit to intimidation in the face of allegations that Modi’s administration has used the legislation to target and silence critics.
He told reporters on Saturday, “I will do whatever I have to do to defend the democratic nature of this country.” They’re used to being feared by everyone. They don’t frighten me at all.
The PM’s relationship with Gautam Adani, one of India’s most prominent industrialists, has come under scrutiny, and his removal from the parliament comes at this time.
Although Modi and Adani have been close friends for many years, this year has seen renewed interest in Adani’s business empire as a result of allegations of “brazen” corporate fraud made by a US investment company.
Weeks ago, Gandhi’s opposition Congress party requested that the allegations be properly investigated by the parliament.
Gandhi told reporters, “I have been disqualified because the prime minister is afraid of the next speech that is going to emerge on Adani. What is the prime minister’s relationship with Mr. Adani? is a query I will keep posing.
On Saturday, Congress supporters protested against Gandhi’s removal as an MP in a number of towns across the nation.
Gandhi is the main representative of Congress, which used to dominate Indian politics but is now only a pale imitation of what it once was.
As the son, grandson, and great-grandson of past prime ministers, starting with independence leader Jawaharlal Nehru, he is a member of India’s most illustrious political dynasty.
But he has found it difficult to stand up to Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its nationalist appeal to the nation’s overwhelming Hindu population.
He was declared ineligible to serve as an MP by the lower house of parliament on Friday, one day after his defamation case judgement.
Gandhi questioned why “all thieves have Modi as common surname” during the 2019 election campaign, which sparked the prosecution.
His words were taken as a jab at the prime minister, who went on to easily win the race.
Government officials added that the comment was a smear against all bearers of the Modi surname, which is linked to the lower castes in India’s conventional caste system.
Gandhi was given a two-year jail term on Thursday, but was released on bail after his attorneys pledged to file an appeal.
On Thursday, a BJP spokesman claimed that the court’s decision was reached using “due judicial process.”
