Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, commenting on Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification, said, “Rahul Gandhi himself tore the ordinance against immediate disqualification. If karma has struck him back, what is our fault?”
New Delhi ,UPDATED: Mar 25, 2023 12:32 IST
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (Photo: PTI/File)
By India Today News Desk: Responding to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification as Lok Sabha MP following his conviction in a 2019 defamation case, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took potshots at the former Congress chief for not apologising despite being found guilty.
“Rahul Gandhi himself tore the ordinance against immediate disqualification. If Karma has struck him back, what is our fault?”, Assam CM told the reporters.
Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification comes under a Supreme Court order that the Congress itself tried to overturn using an ordinance in 2013. The Supreme Court in April 2013 held that MPs and MLAs convicted with a minimum two-year sentence would be immediately disqualified from the house without getting three months to appeal, as was the case until then.
Five months later that year, the ruling Congress government at the centre hurriedly pushed an ordinance that sought to overturn the rule that disqualifies convicted MPs and MLAs. Back then, Rahul Gandhi openly came out against his party’s decision and called the move ‘complete nonsense’.
ALSO READ | Rahul Gandhi: From trashing ordinance that sought to save convicted netas to being sentenced himself. What next?
Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi for his ‘why all thieves have Modi surname remarks’, the BJP leader said, “Political leaders may sometimes say certain things which may hurt someone’s sentiments. We instantly issue apologies when such things are brought to our notice. For five years, Rahul Gandhi did not apologise, which was due to the OBC community. Despite the court’s conviction, he has not yet apologised. Why such arrogance?”
“You can go and ask Congress leaders who belong to the OBC community, are they happy with this? This is about an individual’s arrogance and pride of one community. If you are not satisfied with the judiciary’s order, then you can challenge the conviction order in the higher court,” Himanta Biswa said.
Asked whether Rahul Gandhi’s political career is over, the Assam CM said, “He is the leader of opposition and he can go to attend meetings and rallies. He is free to do so. But he should not make such objectionable comments against one particular community.”
RAHUL GANDHI DISQUALIFIED
Rahul Gandhi, representing Wayanad parliamentary constituency in Kerala, was on Friday disqualified from the Lok Sabha, a day after his conviction in a defamation case by a court in Surat in Gujarat.
The court sentenced Gandhi to two years in jail in a criminal defamation case over his “Modi surname” remarks at a 2019 poll rally in Karnataka. However, the court also granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court.
Leaders of almost all opposition parties rallied around Rahul Gandhi, after he was disqualified and accused the BJP of doing “vindictive politics.” Meanwhile, BJP leaders, while criticising Gandhi over his remarks allegedly against the OBC community, stuck to the explanation that his disqualification was a result of a court order and not a political call.
ALSO READ | Rahul Gandhi disqualified as Lok Sabha MP after conviction, sentencing in defamation case
ALSO READ | Rahul Gandhi sentenced to 2 years in jail. Here’s what law on disqualification of convicted MPs says
