'We are watching...': US state department on Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Indian parliament
Story highlights
Netizens did not take kindly to the US state department's main deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel's statement after it went viral on social media platforms, calling it an attempt to interfere in Indian politics
As the controversy surrounding Indian MP Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Indian parliament gains pace, the US has also chimed in with a response. Vedant Patel, the US state department's main deputy spokesperson on Monday said Washington was 'watching' the developments unfolding in the court case concerning Gandhi.
Patel interspersed his comments with the routine drizzling of 'protection of human rights' and 'democratic principles'.
"Respect for the rule of law and judicial independence is a cornerstone of any democracy. We are watching Mr Gandhi's case in Indian courts and we engage with the Government of India on our shared commitment to democratic values, including freedom of expression," said Patel.
When quizzed by the reporter if the United States was actively engaging with India regarding the matter as well as Gandhi - the opposition leader, Patel said:
"I don't have any specific engagements to read out. But as I'm sure you know as someone who's covered this department for some time, it is normal and standard for us to engage with members of opposition parties in any country where we have bilateral relationships. But I don't have any specific engagement to read out."
"Watching Mr. Gandhi’s case in Indian courts, and we engage with the Government of India on our shared commitment to democratic values", US state dept on Rahul Gandhi https://t.co/pQb2b6bRqY pic.twitter.com/zUxk33csVy
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) March 28, 2023
Netizens did not take kindly to Patel's statement after it went viral on social media platforms, calling it an attempt to interfere in Indian politics. One tweeted, 'Keep watching only thing you can do', while another added, '"And we will try to lecture them on democracy, completely ignoring the fact that we ourselves support military dictatorship and thrown democratically elected government in the past" -- they forgot to add this."
What happened with Rahul Gandhi?
Last week, a city court in the western Indian state of Gujarat convicted the Indian National Congress (INC) leader in a criminal defamation case for his alleged 'Modi surname' remarks.
The court sentenced Gandhi to two years in jail while imposing a fine of Rs 15,000 ($183), under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 (defamation), 500 (punishment for defamation).
After an appeal, his sentence was suspended and bail granted to move an appeal against the conviction in under 30 days. However, the very next day, the Indian parliament disqualified the Indian MP from Wayanad - a district in the southern Indian state of Kerala.
Since then, the opposition has been up in arms about the issue, calling the disqualification unjust. The Indian parliament and its both houses were adjourned on Monday after the opposition took a collective stance and protested the move.
(With inputs from agencies)
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