Maharashtra: Congress attacks PM Modi over Rahul's disqualification as MP, stages protests

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Saturday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the disqualification of party leader Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha and claimed the country was heading towards dictatorship.

The state Congress' SC, OBC, minority, and advivasi cells organised a protest at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai. Similar demonstrations were also held in other parts of the state, Patole said.

"The RSS and the BJP have given the country to one person who is selling the country. When power concentrates in the hands of one person, it leads to dictatorship. This is detrimental to democracy," Patole told reporters.

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He said Gandhi is trying to speak about the Modi-Adani issue, a reference to the Adani group.

"PM Modi is not ready to speak on Chinese incursion while Gandhi has been raising this issue. Key issues like inflation are being sidelined," he claimed.

The Congress has been demanding a Joint Parliamentary Probe (JPC) into what it claims is the "Adani scam".

"What is the reason behind giving all the ports, airports, all PSUs? A case (against Gandhi) was filed in the Surat court with a malafide intention, then getting him convicted and disqualified as a Lok Sabha member. and he was driven out of his house," Patole said.

Gandhi was disqualified as an MP after he was convicted by a Surat court for criminal defamation over his "Modi surname" remark and sentenced to imprisonment for two years. The court granted Gandhi bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court.