On March 24 (local time) Islamic terror organisations, including Jamaat-e-Islami linked Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) issued a statement condemning the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha. In the statement, IAMC claimed that the defamation case against Gandhi was designed to harass and intimidate him.
The organisation called his disqualification a “grave injustice and clear manifestation of the ruling party’s desperation to maintain its hold on power, decimate the opposition, and silence dissenting voices.”
The statement read, “Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) strongly condemns the disqualification of Mr Rahul Gandhi, a senior Congress leader from the Indian parliament, a day after being convicted in a politically motivated defamation case. In 2019, Mr Gandhi delivered a speech at an election rally where he referred to thieves as having the same surname as Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“The defamation case against Mr Gandhi was designed to harass and intimidate him. The decision to disqualify him from the parliament on the basis of this conviction is a grave injustice and a clear manifestation of the ruling party’s desperation to maintain its hold on power, decimate the opposition, and silence any dissenting voices. The IAMC believes that the decision to disqualify Mr Gandhi sets a dangerous precedent for the future of Indian democracy. It sends a message that the ruling party will stop at nothing to suppress any opposition and that the judiciary can be manipulated to serve political interests.”, the statement continued.
The statement also quoted IAMC Executive Director Rasheed Ahmed saying, “The disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from the Indian parliament is a blatant violation of the principles of democracy and a chilling reminder of the descent of India into a fascist state. This is not just an attack on an individual but an attack on everyone who is critical of the Modi regime. We urge the Biden administration and the international community to take note of this alarming development and speak out in defence of democracy and human rights in India.”
IAMC and its dubious history
For the uninitiated, Rasheed Ahmed is the executive director of the Indian American Muslim Council, Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), a radical Islamist group that has alleged links with banned terror organizations such as the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and has a long history of lobbying against India.
The IAMC is a Jamat-e-Islami-backed lobbyist organisation claiming to be a rights advocacy group. In the past, it had reportedly collaborated with and even paid money to various groups in the USA to get India blacklisted by the USCIRF (United States Commission on International Religious Freedom). A detailed report by Disinfo Lab has exposed its links with the terror outfit Jamat-e-Islami.
IAMC founder Shaik Ubaid and member Abdul Malik Mujahid have headed the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), the US front for Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan. According to DisInfo Lab, ICNA has established links with Pakistan-based terror groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba. Rasheed Ahmed, who heads the IAMC currently, was the former executive director of the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA). IMANA’s Director of Operations is Zahid Mahmood, an ex-Pak Navy official.
IAMC had been caught spreading fake news and misinformation to further the Islamist cause in India. It had also been slapped with the UAPA in 2021.
Disqualification of Rahul Gandhi
On March 23, a Magistrate Court in Surat convicted Rahul Gandhi, sending him to 2 years imprisonment and a fine for in the defamation case where he had called everyone with ‘Modi surname’ a thug. Many people in Gujarat who belong to the OBC community have a ‘Modi’ surname, and this kind of remark by an elected public representative could have harmed individuals, causing them a social stigma.
In its order, the court said that it would like to set an example and awarded the maximum punishment possible under the section so that people act responsibly. “When someone of an MP level addresses common people, the intensity of crime increases. If he is given lesser punishment, it gives out a wrong message to society that anyone can say anything and get away with it without consequences. Hence, keeping in mind everything, the accused is given two years imprisonment and is asked to pay a fine,” the court had observed.
According to section 8(3) of the Representation of the People Act, any MP or MLA convicted of any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years shall be disqualified from the date of conviction, which means, as of March 23, 2023, Rahul Gandhi stood disqualified as an MP. He also could not contest the upcoming 2024 general elections unless his conviction is stayed. The such stay could come from a higher court with or without conditions.