Rahul Gandhi is the voice of democracy. He can be silenced in Parliament but he can't be silenced in the court of India's people. Congress will lead an agitation against his disqualification decision. He has been becoming a voice of people as 2024 approaches: CM SS Sukhu
Criticism of a govt is an inherently important part of our democratic mechanism. It shouldn't be constituted as conspiracy against nation. We should distinguish it from hyper-nationalism & acceptance from any narcissistic political leader with the arrogance of majoritarianism: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress MP
Rahul Gandhi insulted Veer Savarkar. He also insulted also the entire OBC community. He was no right to speak against PM Modi who is working for the country. Rahul Gandhi is working towards 'Bharat todo', not 'Bharat jodo': Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde
Today the Congress people are sitting with their mouths shut. Rahul Gandhi ji, why didn't you shut your mouth when you used to make derogatory, unparliamentary statements for Modi caste: MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Bhopal
Rahul Gandhi has not only criticised PM Modi but has defamed the entire OBC community. He is continuing to speak in the same tone and I want to tell him that if he continues to do so, it will be difficult for him to walk on the road: Maha CM Eknath Shinde
Savarkar is not only Maharashtra's deity but is an idol for the whole country and Rahul Gandhi has defamed him. Any criticism of Rahul Gandhi will be lesser for his this deed. Today also, he said that I am not Savarkar who will apologise. What does he think of Savarkar? He must be punished for this: Maha CM Eknath Shinde in Assembly
We are planning a nationwide movement tomorrow, we are doing a ‘Sankalp Satyagraha’ from 10 AM onwards. All over India, our party workers are there we will do the Sankalp Satyagraha in all state headquarters & at Gandhi statues: KC Venugopal, Congress
Rahul Gandhi could have apologised or withdrawn the comments for which he was sentenced by a Surat court, Assam Chief MinisterHimanta Biswa Sarmasaid on Saturday. A slip of tongue sometimes happens and ''we have experienced it too, but we issue a statement apologising, saying it was unintentional. Gandhi could have done the same and the matter would have ended there'', Sarma said on the sidelines of a programme here.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday staged protests here against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi demanding an apology from him for “insulting” the Other Backward Classes (OBC).
The protests, with placards with messages that the Congress leader should apologise for insulting the OBCs, were held in places like Dadar and Lalbaug.
The Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Saturday staged a walkout accusing the Speaker of delaying action against members who hit a poster of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with footwear on the legislature premises.
No attempts made to seek stay on Surat court verdict to encash Rahul’s conviction in Karnataka assembly polls: Ravi Shankar Prasad(PTI)
Rahul Gandhi's disqualification is an "own goal" by BJP, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said here on Saturday.
Condemning the act of the Lok Sabha Secretariat, Tharoor said that this issue, in the end, was going to be beneficial for the opposition parties and to Gandhi.(PTI)
Wayanad on Saturday witnessed strong protests, including the burning of an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Congress workers and its youth and student wings, over the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as an MP who represented the constituency.
Congress leaders, including MLA T Siddique, who were part of the protest march to the office of BSNL in Kalpetta in Wayanad, were by force removed from the site and carried away by the police to their bus.(PTI)
Political strategist turned activist Prashant Kishor on Saturday termed as "excessive" the two years’ imprisonment awarded to Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case and urged the ruling dispensation to show "a big heart" on the Congress leader's disqualification.
Kishor, who is now touring Bihar, his home state, as part of "Jan Suraaj" campaign, also underscored that the Congress did not seem to be well prepared to reach out to the masses with the message that it has been wronged.(PTI)
In his press conference, Rahul Gandhi tried to make false statements & did not speak on the subject. Rahul Gandhi has been punished for his speech in 2019. Today he said that 'I speak thoughtfully' which means whatever Rahul Gandhi said in 2019, it was spoken thoughtfully: BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad(ANI)
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) on Saturday charged the Narendra Modi government at the Centre with having played an "active role" in ensuring "hasty" disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha.(PTI)
The Congress held a protest on Saturday in Pune against the disqualification of its leader Rahul Gandhi as Lok Sabha MP following his two-year-jail sentence in a defamation case. The protest, which was held near MG Road, saw Congress functionaries raising slogans against the Bharatiya Janata Party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.(PTI)
He (Rahul Gandhi) is being able to speak because there is democracy in this country. He is the one speaking the most against Modi ji and still says that his voice is being strangled: Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal(ANI)
Rahul when asked if he considered apologizing, as the BJP has demanded, Congress leader said that he was not Savarkar.
He added that the country's mechanisms could still stand to defend the PM but here they were coming together to protect Adani.
Rahul Gandhi said that irrespective of the BJP's attempts to distract from the Adani issue, the Opposition will press on about the Rs 20K crore in his account and seek an answer on it.
The Prime Minister is scared of my next speech on Adani, and I have seen it in his eyes. That is why, first the distraction and then the disqualification: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi(ANI)
Rahul said that Modi went into panic mode but Rahul's disqualification gives the Opposition power. The Congress leader said that people already have a question about Adani - knowing he is a corrupt person. Now, they are bound to wonder why the PM is protecting this corrupt individual.
Rahul Gandhi alleges the distraction and disqualification is just because the Centre does not want the Congress leader raising questions about Adani and Modi's relationship.
"PM is afraid of my next speech," Rahul told the press.
My speech made in Parliament was expunged, and later I wrote a detailed reply to the Lok Sabha Speaker. Some ministers lied about me, that I sought help from foreign powers. But there is no such thing I have done. I will not stop asking questions, I will keep questioning the relationship between PM Modi and Adani: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi(ANI)
I have said many times before that democracy is being attacked in the country. We are seeing examples of this each day. I asked questions in the Parliament regarding the relationship between PM Modi and Adani: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi(ANI)
Rahul said that expelling him or jailing him would not be able to silence him. He would continue the fight for democracy.
Rahul said he was accused in Parliament of seeking help from external forces but was not allowed to respond.
Rahul doubling down on his attacks on Adani said that Rs 20,000 crore invested in his company by some unknown entity and shone a light again on the industrialist's relation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the time he was Gujarat CM.
The Congress on Saturday accused the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of having a "double agenda", as they made statements supporting Rahul Gandhi and at the same time allegedly directed police to brutally attack protesting activists of KSU and the party's youth wing.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the State Assembly V D Satheesan made the allegation a day after the CPI(M) in Kerala and Vijayan condemned Gandhi's disqualification from the Lok Sabha. Vijayan had termed it an attack on democracy by the Sangh Parivar as well as revenge politics of the BJP.(PTI)
Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Saturday took a swipe at two BJP ministers for accusing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of insulting OBCs with his "Modi surname" remark in 2019, saying they were "insulting" people's intelligence by making such an "absurd allegation".
Gandhi was on Friday disqualified from the Lok Sabha, nearly 24 hours after a Surat court convicted him in a defamation case.(PTI)
Condemning the move to disqualify Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) on Friday said the country is heading towards dictatorship.
Addressing a press conference, GPCC President Amit Patkar said that BJP was rattled to see the success of Bharat Jodo Yatra by Rahul Gandhi.
"From today's incident, the picture is very clear that our democracy is under threat. This is murder of democracy. India is heading towards dictatorship. We condemn whatever has happened today," Patkar said.
"Time and again, we and our leader Rahul Gandhi was telling that democracy is under threat and attack. Today is black day for democracy. The way the BJP government used all institutions to disqualify Rahul Gandhi is sad day for our country," he said.
Reacting to the Congress' allegations against Rahul Gandhi's disqualification as a Lok Sabha MP, Union Minister Anurag Thakur during a press conference in New Delhi said that Rahul is the "epitome of unparliamentary behaviour" and that today people of Wayanad have got rid of him.
He also said: "A member of the Lok Sabha for so long, from 2009 to 2014. Never been able to ask questions for Amethi in five years. Participated in only 21 debates in all these years. This in itself tells about them. Rahul Gandhi thinks he is above the government, law and people of India."
Top Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna said that the expulsion of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from Parliament is a "deep betrayal of Gandhian philosophy".
Taking to Twitter on Friday, the Democratic Congressman said: "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."
Flagging off Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his tweet, Khanna said "you have the power to reverse this decision for the the sake of Indian democracy".
With their limited strength, Congress supporters in Kolkata joined their counterparts elsewhere in the country to protest Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification as a Lok Sabha member. Besides the Left, senior Trinamool leaders condemned the party in power at the Centre.
For some in the Congress party, Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from the Lok Sabha is reminiscent of the “vengeful” treatment the Janata Party government meted out to Indira Gandhi in October 1977 when it arrested her and four former ministers on charges of corruption and misuse of authority.
On Friday, Opposition leaders, including those who in the recent past refused to walk with the Congress, slammed the Narendra Modi government for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from the Lok Sabha. Opposition sources said Rahul’s expulsion could forge sentimental unity among the parties while they work on electoral adjustments in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections. As proof of this, the Congress will organise a protest march next week, with at least 12 Opposition parties, including TMC and AAP, set to participate.
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