INDIA’S MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER RAHUL GANDHI REINSTATED IN PARLIAMENT

Mon 07 August 2023:

India’s parliament has reinstated opposition Congress Party leader Rahul Gandhi as a member after the Supreme Court revoked his conviction for defamation.

Gandhi will return to the Lok Sabha, this time representing his Wayanad constituency, at a time when the house has been repeatedly disrupted by the Opposition group INDIA’s demand for a separate session on Manipur following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comments on the subject.

While ordering a stay on Rahul Gandhi’s conviction on Friday, the Supreme Court stated that while his words were not in good taste, his disqualification would affect his people.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrived at Parliament on Monday after Lok Sabha Secretariat issued a notification reinstating his membership.

Upon his arrival, he received a warm welcome from various leaders. pic.twitter.com/6134EPmteA

— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) August 7, 2023

The trial judge had imposed the maximum term of two years in the case, according to the Supreme Court, noting that a day less would not have resulted in disqualification as an MP. “The consequences of disqualification affect not only the rights of the individual but also the electorate,” the judges wrote.

Gandhi, whose father, grandmother and great-grandfather were prime ministers, was convicted in March in a case brought by a legislator from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over 2019 comments deemed insulting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others with the same name, including the legislator.

Gandhi asked, “Why do all thieves have Modi as their surname?” He then referred to three well-known and unrelated Modis: a fugitive Indian diamond tycoon, a cricket executive banned from the Indian Premier League, and the prime minister.

The case was filed by Purnesh Modi, who is a BJP legislator in Gujarat state but is not related to the prime minister.

The decision to reinstate Shri @RahulGandhi as an MP is a welcome step.

It brings relief to the people of India, and especially to Wayanad.

Whatever time is left of their tenure, BJP and Modi Govt should utilise that by concentrating on actual governance rather than… pic.twitter.com/kikcZqfFvn

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) August 7, 2023

Welcoming the decision, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said, “It brings relief to the people of India, and especially to Wayanad. Whatever time is left of their tenure, BJP and Modi Govt should utilise that by concentrating on actual governance rather than denigrating Democracy by targeting opposition leaders.”

Over accusations of delay in Gandhi’s reinstatement after the SC’s decision on Friday, Parliamentary Affair minister Prahlad Joshi said, “Speaker took the decision today. We followed the legal process and immediately after receiving the Supreme Court’s order, we restored it.”

Gandhi’s conviction and suspension from parliament was widely condemned by Modi’s opponents as the latest assault against democracy and free speech by a government seeking to crush dissent.

The speed of his removal from parliament had shocked Indian political experts.

India, with 1.4 billion people, is the world’s largest democracy. However, Modi’s critics say democracy has been in retreat since he came to power in 2014. They accuse his government of pursuing a Hindu nationalist agenda. The government denies that, saying its policies benefit all Indians.

Gandhi’s reinduction as a member of parliament is likely to strengthen the opposition’s effort to corner Modi’s government ahead of a no-confidence motion this week over deadly ethnic violence that has roiled India’s northeastern state of Manipur for more than three months.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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