Rahul Gandhi News: Congress Will Legally Appeal Against Leader's Disqualification, Says Ex-Maha CM; Protesting Functionaries Detained

The Congress in Telangana on Sunday began a day-long dharna at Gandhi Bhavan here against the disqualification of senior party leader Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President, A Revanth Reddy, party MPs from the state, AICC incharge of party affairs in Telangana Manikrao Thakre and several leaders took part in the protest and expressed their solidarity with Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress leaders, addressed the ‘deeksha’ and condemned Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification as an MP following his conviction by a Surat court in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his “Modi surname” remark.

The Lok Sabha Secretariat had in a notification said that his disqualification was effective from March 23 — the day of his conviction.

The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala on Sunday said its statements regarding disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha were not in support of the Congress leader, rather it was opposing the BJP’s undemocratic action against him.

CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan said that the Left party has always taken a stand against the undemocratic actions, like the BJP and RSS using central agencies like ED and CBI to target opposition parties.

“Something like that has happened in Rahul Gandhi’s case. We did not announce support for Rahul Gandhi. We strongly opposed the undemocratic action taken against him,” he told reporters.

Former finance minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday said his party’s leader Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from Lok Sabha would strengthen the Congress, helping its prospects in next year’s general election.

Describing the political landscape as an “undeclared emergency”, Chidambaram in an exclusive email interview, said the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has made the Congress its “prime target”, wishing its elimination in order to more easily manage the regional parties.

However, he asserted that Congress would not be “eliminated” and regional parties would “rise and fight” the BJP.

The Punjab and Haryana units of Congress began a day-long ‘Sankalp Satyagraha’ here on Sunday to protest against Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from Lok Sabha.

Both units are holding separate events at the state headquarters as part of the protest programme in which many senior leaders are taking part.

Speaking to reporters, Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring alleged that the action against Rahul Gandhi was taken because the BJP-led Centre was “scared” of his next speech in Parliament on the Adani issue.

Warring said a “tearing hurry” was shown by the Lok Sabha Secretariat in disqualifying Rahul Gandhi allegedly at the behest of the BJP-led government.

Congress workers across the country on Sunday organised “Sankalp Satyagraha” to protest against disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha, with party president Mallikarjun Kharge lashing out at the ruling BJP and asking why it is pained if fugitives such as Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi are criticised.

While in Delhi, the police denied permission to the Congress to hold its protest programme at Rajghat, the police in Gujarat detained several party functionaries for holding the stir.

In the national capital, the Congress put up a stage outside Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial for its day-long protest programme after the permission was denied.

The Jharkhand unit of Congress party staged a day-long ‘Sankalp Satyagraha’ here on Sunday to protest against Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from Lok Sabha.

Senior Congress leaders including Jharkhand ministers—Rameshwar Oraon and Banna Gupta— assembled at Bapu Vatika at Morabadi ground in Ranchi to lodge their protest, saying BJP-led Centre is scared of Gandhi’s “vociferous voice” on Adani issue.

Talking to media persons, Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur said, “The haste shown by the Lok Sabha secretariat in disqualifying Rahul ji, shows that BJP government in Centre is scared of his vociferous voice on Adani issue.” Rahul Gandhi was on Friday disqualified from Lok Sabha following his conviction by a Surat court in a 2019 criminal defamation case. The disqualification will bar 52-year-old Gandhi from contesting polls for eight years unless a higher court stays his conviction and sentence.

Telangana Congress leaders staged satyagraha at the party office in Hyderabad on Sunday to protest against disqualification of party leader Rahul Gandhi from Parliament.

Manikrao Thakare, the in-charge of Congress party for Telangana, led the protest at Gandhi Bhavan, the state headquarters of the party.

Congress party’s central leader Tariq Anwar, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President A. Revanth Reddy, MP Uttam Kumar Reddy and other leaders participated in the protest.

The Congress leaders condemned Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification and called it a conspiracy by Modi government. They vowed to continue the protest till the disqualification is revoked.

The BJP launched a scathing attack on the Congress and called its ‘Satyagraha’ as ‘Duragraha’ on Sunday. The Congress is staging ‘Sankalp Satyagraha’ at the Rajghat against the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from Parliament.

Speaking to IANS, BJP leader R.P. Singh said, “It is clear from this what kind of Satyagraha the Congress is doing. The murderer of Sikhs (Jagdish Tytler) has joined this Satyagraha. Congress cannot survive without Tytler. The party invites him to every event.”

Singh said that this is not Satyagraha, but an attempt is being made to reinstate Jagdish Tytler, who is accused of killing Sikhs. In February this year, Tytler was elected a member of the Congress Committee.”

Disqualification of Rahul Gandhi means hurting & ending democracy. We are making an effort to protect democracy. This is our peaceful Satyagraha. Further course of action will be decided…We’ll legally appeal against this action (disqualification), & legal battle will be fought. Political battle will continue, as you can see: Former Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan

Delhi | Rahul Gandhi’s motive is to save the democracy in the country. The way people have gathered here for the party’s Satyagraha gives a message to the nation. A national debate has started in the country after Rahul Gandhi’s press conference yesterday. People have appreciated what he said: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot

Several Congress functionaries were detained in Gujarat on Sunday during the party’s ‘Sankalp Satyagrah’ agitation against the disqualification of their leader Rahul Gandhi as Lok Sabha MP following his conviction in a defamation case by a Surat court.

Gandhi was sentenced to two years in jail on Thursday in a criminal defamation case over his Modi surname and thieves remark, and his disqualification notice was issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat a day later.

Police detained state Congress chief Jagdish Tahor, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Amit Chavda and senior leader Bharatsinh Solanki along with party workers when they arrived at Lal Darwaza here to protest.

This (Satyagraha) is not just about Congress party or Rahul Gandhi, this is about Indian democracy. Is it good for our democracy when the principal opposition leader is not allowed to raise his voice in Parliament where we have a PM who speaks to the world about India as the mother of democracy, is this good for our country?: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor

Disqualified Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi has updated his Twitter bio to reflect the same, but with an intended pun. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Twitter bio now says “Dis’Qualified MP”, two days after his disqualification from Lok Sabha following his sentence in the criminal defamation case of 2019 over Modi surname. READ MORE

The Congress on Sunday began a day-long “Sankalp Satyagraha” at Delhi’s Rajghat in support of Rahul Gandhi following his disqualification from the Lok Sabha.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, senior leaders KC Venugopal, P Chidambaram and Salman Khurshid were among the party’s top brass taking part in the satyagraha at Rajghat.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday slammed the Bharatiya Janta party (BJP) for insulting Rahul Gandhi, son of a ‘martyred prime minister’, by calling a traitor and Mir Jafar. Addressing a gathering at Rajghat — the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi — in Delhi to protest against Rahul Gandhi’s conviction in a 2019 defamation case and his subsequent disqualification from the Lok Sabha, Priyanka also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a “Coward”. READ MORE

The Congress’ Rajasthan unit on Sunday began its day-long “Sankalp Satyagraha” here in support of Rahul Gandhi following his disqualification from the Lok Sabha. The party’s state unit chief Govind Singh Dotasra, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas and several other leaders are taking part in the protest at the Collectorate Circle.

Similar protests are also being organised in other districts.

In an order to tackle any untoward incident at the Rajghat where the Congress party workers are observing ‘Satyagraha’ against the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from Parliament, the Delhi Police have deployed its force and brought tear gas to be used in an emergency situation.

The Delhi Police have already imposed section 144 in and around the area of Rajghat where the workers have assembled and are holding Satyagraha against the Surat Court decision and Rahul’s dismissal from the Lok Sabha.

The Delhi Police have made it clear that they have not given any permission to the Congress party to hold any kind of protest and Satyagraha. The Delhi Police said that to maintain law and order they have taken this decision.

Dehradun, Uttarakhand | Congress leaders and workers participate in the party’s Sankalp Satyagraha to protest against the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as an MP.

My brother went to PM Modi and hugged him in the Parliament and said I have no hatred for you. We might have different ideologies but we do not have the ideology of hatred: Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

My father was insulted in the Parliament, my brother has been given names like Meer Jafar. Your ministers insult my mother in the Parliament. One of your CM said Rahul Gandhi does not even know who his father is, but no action is taken against these people: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra