Disqualification of Rahul Gandhi a state of emergency for opposition: Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren

RANCHI: Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Lok Sabha within 24 hours of his conviction in a 2019 defamation case evoked a strong reaction from the political circles in Jharkhand.
Chief minister Hemant Soren said the disqualification of Rahul by the Election Commission (EC) was a state of emergency for the opposition parties and the citizens of this country. In a two-part tweet, Soren wrote, "It is clearly evident (that) Amrit Kaal in New India applies only to the leaders and members of BJP. Whereas for the entire opposition and the citizens of this country, it is Apat Kaal."
Soren, who is also the ruling JMM's executive president, is also under the radar of the EC in an office-of-profit case and under the ED scanner for alleged illegal mining. He further tweeted, "The disqualification of Lok Sabha membership of Shri Rahul Gandhi demonstrates how political differences are now vendetta battles for the ruling Union government. In today's Amrit Kaal, opposition leaders are unilateral targets of BJP and they are being coerced and silenced using every tool of power."
Jharkhand Congress leadership also mounted a sharp attack on BJP. Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur termed Rahul's disqualification as the "murder of democracy". "Today, calling thieves as they are tantamount to a crime in this country. Thieves, fraudsters and looters are roaming scot-free (in and outside the country) and the person who is criticising the inaction against them is being put behind bars. Never in the history of our country's Parliamentary democracy has such a hasty decision been taken before," Thakur said.
"Rahul Ji was not allowed to speak in Parliament because he was raising questions against the Adani Group. Such promptness should have been shown in constituting a joint parliamentary committee into the Adani irregularities," he added.
The state BJP, however, pitched strongly in favour of Rahul's disqualification. "The laws of the land are equal for all and one will pay the price for his or her deeds. Gandhi has been speaking in unparliamentary languages and considered himself to be above the laws of the land and the parliamentary democracy. He insulted a backward community. He even had to apologize before the Supreme Court for his 'Chowkidar Chor Hai' remark," BJP state president and Rajya Sabha MP Deepak Prakash said.