Disqualification of Rahul Gandhi undemocratic : MPCC
'Democracy eroded under BJP'
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 26 2023: Terming Rahul Gandhi's disqualification as Lok Sabha MP "undemocratic", Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) staged a one-day "Satyagraha" protest today.

Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader and former CM Okram Ibobi, deputy CLP leader MLA K Ranjit, ICC member Gaikhangam, MPCC president MLA K Meghachandra, MLA O Surjakumar and other party leaders took part in the protest at Congress Bhavan.

MPCC president K Meghachandra said the Congress party held the "Satyagraha" to protest Rahul Gandhi's disqualification as a Member of the Parliament (Lok Sabha) after his conviction in a criminal defamation case by a Surat Court on March 23 .

Notably, the Surat Court had convicted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a criminal defamation case filed in 2019 by Purnesh Modi, a member of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly.

The Court sentenced Rahul Gandhi to two years' imprisonment, however, he was granted bail and given a month to appeal against the decision in a Higher Court, according to the Frontline.

Disqualification of Rahul Gandhi undemocratic : MPCC

The case is about Rahul Gandhi reportedly saying "How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?" during a Congress campaign rally in Kolar in Karnataka in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha election, reported Frontline.

At the protest at Congress Bhavan today, MPCC president MLA K Meghachandra said, "Now, democracy has no meaning in India and it is becoming clearer everyday.

The democracy that exists in India today is rewarding the wrongdoers and the wealth of the country is being looted by some.

Those who speak out the truth and raise voices against these are put in jail.

The country's democracy, earlier praised all around the world, has been converted into a dictatorship-like by the BJP" .

Opposition Congress leaders are being harassed, convicted and attacked systematically.

By harassing the Opposition members, BJP has turned democracy's core culture and tradition into a farce, asserted Meghachandra.

The Satyagraha protest also protests Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP Government's "undemocratic" practices, said the MPCC president.

The Congress party will not allow the BJP Government to do whatever it wants against people who speak out the truth.

What Rahul Gandhi said in the political meeting in Karnataka was not directed against the "Modi community", Meghachandra said.

"In the Karnataka political meeting, Rahul Gandhi had said that Lalit Modi, Nirav Modi and Narendra Modi etc are giving the wealth of the people of the country to few people close to them," he said.

Lalit Modi and Nirav Modi had "swindled" crores of rupees.

What Rahul Gandhi did was questioning the Government why it was not punishing them.

In a democracy, what Rahul said as an Opposition leader is right and allowed, he said, adding what Rahul Gandhi did was name a few people sharing the same surname and it was not directed against the Modi community as a whole.

Meghachandra then went on to say that after Rahul Gandhi was convicted by the Surat Court, the Lok Sabha Speaker, without consulting the Election Commission of India, disqualified Rahul as a Member of the Parliament.

Moreover, several remarks made by Rahul Gandhi earlier in February in the Parliament linking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Gautam Adani were expunged.

This was unfortunate and the people of India know that the Narendra Modi Government doesn't want anything bad about it made public, he said.

Under BJP Government's India's GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and the value of Indian Rupee are falling.

GST (Goods and Service Tax) rate has been hiked and unemployment rate is rising.

Prices of goods and commodities have become inflated, he said.

Meanwhile, the Congress party is striving to save secularism and democracy from the hands of the BJP.

Secular structure and democracy will return when Congress returns to form Government, he added.

The Satyagraha protest was held across India.