Rahul Gandhi Disqualified: Opposition Leaders Back The Congress Leader Against The “Undemocratic” Expulsion

Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as a member of Parliament, on Friday, after he was convicted in a 2019 defamation case for his alleged remarks on PM Modi's surname. Here’s what opposition leaders had to say in his support.

While West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee called the verdict “a new low for constitutional democracy”, the Rajya Sabha member from her party, Derek O’Brien termed the expulsion as the “lowest in the history of parliamentary democracy”.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal called for the unity of 130 crore Indians against the “arrogant power” and Samajwadi Party leader, Akhilesh Yadav said that such action should be taken against those who betrayed their country and fled abroad.

The verdict was described as the “last nail in the coffin for constitutional freedom” by Lok Sabha member Mahua Moitra and as “a death knell for democracy” by Tamil Nadu CM M.K Stalin.

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan said that the move was an insult to democratic values while Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar called it “the height of Narendra Modi’s arrogance and dictatorship”.

CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury tweeted urging people to "resist and defeat such authoritarian assaults", while NCP leader Sharad Pawar said that the expulsion was against the basic tenets of the Constitution.

Bihar’s Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav said it was a matter of grave concern and Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren described opposition leaders as unilateral targets of BJP who are being coerced to silence.

Former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray said that this was a “direct murder of democracy” while RLD party leader Jayant Singh said that this could have a chilling effect on ordinary citizen’s freedom of speech.