The two houses of the Indian parliament were adjourned on Monday due to the opposition’s protests against the expulsion of Indian National Congress (INC) leader Rahul Gandhi.
The Speaker of the lower house Lok Sabha, Om Birla, adjourned the proceedings and stated his intention to run the house with dignity. Before the morning session, opposition MPs held a meeting in the chamber of Leader of Opposition Rajya Sabha and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, thanking everyone for their support in protecting democracy and the Constitution.
Last week, a court in Surat convicted Rahul Gandhi in a criminal defamation case filed against him for his alleged ‘Modi surname’ remarks. He was sentenced to two years in jail and a fine of Rs 15,000 ($183) under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 (defamation), 500 (punishment for defamation).
Rahul Gandhi had made the alleged remarks during a rally in Karnataka ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. After an appeal, his sentence was suspended and bail granted to move an appeal against the conviction within 30 days. However, the next day, the Indian parliament disqualified him from the membership of Lok Sabha representing the Wayanad Parliamentary Constituency of Kerala, his home district.
Following his disqualification, Rahul Gandhi is not eligible to contest elections for eight years unless a higher court stays his conviction and sentence. He belongs to the Gandhi family, India’s most famous political family. Despite his privileged background, he has not been able to compete against the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his BJP government. His disqualification ahead of the 2024 general elections may hurt INC’s chances of staging a comeback.
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