Indian-American Congressman seeks Modi's intervention to reverse Rahul Gandhi's disqualification
An influential member of the United States House of Representatives, Ro Khanna, has reacted sharply to the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from the Indian Parliament. Khanna, who is of Indian origin, termed the decision to expel Gandhi from the Lok Sabha as a "deep betrayal" of the Gandhian philosophy. He also sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention to reverse the order.
Why does this story matter?
Gandhi was disqualified as a Lok Sabha member on Friday, a day after he was sentenced to two years in prison in a 2019 criminal defamation case for his statements over PM Modi's surname. The case against Gandhi was filed in Gujarat, the stronghold of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The move was dubbed a "murder of democracy" by Congress and other opposition parties.
US Congressman Khanna's take on Rahul Gandhi's disqualification
Reacting to a news story about Gandhi's disqualification from the Parliament, Khanna tweeted, "The expulsion of Rahul Gandhi from Parliament is a deep betrayal of Gandhian philosophy and India's deepest values." "This is not what my grandfather sacrificed years in jail for," said Khanna, whose maternal grandfather Amarnath Vidyalankar was part of India's independence movement. He represents Silicon Valley in the House of Representatives.
'You have power to reverse this decision': Khanna to Modi
Khanna also sought PM Modi's intervention on this issue. "You have the power to reverse this decision for the sake of Indian democracy," said Khanna, who is also the Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans.
What US Congressman Ro Khanna tweeted
'Sad day for Indian democracy': Indian Overseas Congress USA Vice-Chair
Khanna was not the only American leader to react to Gandhi's disqualification. George Abraham, the vice-chair of the Indian Overseas Congress (IOC), USA, termed it a sad day for Indian democracy. "Bringing a frivolous court case against a remark in the heat of a political campaign is shameful and not on par with the spirit of the Constitution regarding freedom of expression," he added.
Gandhi found guilty in 2019 defamation case
Congress leader Gandhi was sentenced to a two-year prison term on Thursday by a Surat court after he was found guilty in a criminal defamation case over his comments about PM Modi's surname in 2019. He is currently out on a one-month bail. Notably, Gandhi was prosecuted for his remark, "How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?"
Gandhi loses Lok Sabha membership after conviction
On Friday, Gandhi was disqualified as a member of Lok Sabha following the court's verdict. According to the official order, Gandhi stands disqualified from the House from the date of his conviction, i.e., March 23, 2023. The order invoked the provisions of Article 102(1)(e) of the Indian Constitution, read with Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, to make the decision.
