Fighting for voice of India, ready to pay any cost: Rahul Gandhi

NEW DELHI: With the party reiterating that the defamation case and disqualification from Lok Sabha are part of BJP’s plot against Rahul Gandhi, the former Congress president said he was ready to pay any price in his struggle for the common man and democracy.
“I am fighting for the voice of India. I am ready to pay any cost,” Rahul tweeted, echoing the party strategy to build a campaign on the theme of “democracy in danger” and the Adani scandal. Rahul will hold a press meet on Saturday, where he is set to break his silence on his disqualification.
The party termed the disqualification without waiting for Rahul to appeal against the conviction as further proof of the government’s vendetta against him and the party.
AICC spokespersons Abhishek Singhvi and Jairam Ramesh said Rahul had put forth his views on issues of public interest, foreign affairs, social justice, economy, inside and outside Parliament. His Bharat Jodo Yatra rattled BJP, they claimed, and added that the disqualification was the price he had to pay for the success of his yatra and for posing questions to the government.
Congress also focused on how the defamation complaint was “managed” in Gujarat. Ramesh said nine days after Rahul’s Lok Sabha speech on the Adani issue on February 7, the case was fast-tracked with the complainant withdrawing his own stay in the high court on February 16. He said it was followed by arguments resuming after one year on February 27, and the judgement and conviction on March 23. “This is no coincidence,” he said.
Singhvi said it was strange that the complainant secured a stay on his own petition, and then got it vacated after one year, with a new magistrate hearing the matter and passing the judgment. He added the initial magistrate had refused to accept the allegations made, after which the complainant had sought the stay in high court.