Following the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as a Lok Sabha MP after his conviction in a criminal defamation case, the entire Congress party has stepped out to defend their leader, and leading the charge is Rahul’s sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. While addressing party workers in the nation’s capital, Priyanka Vadra attacked the ruling BJP and tried her best to defend Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party.
Responding to BJP’s regular accusation that Congress is just a Nehru-Gandhi family party and there is parivarvaad (family rule) in the party, Priyanka Vadra said, “You (BJP) talk about ‘Parivarvaad’, I want to ask who was Lord Ram? Was he ‘Parivarvaadi’, or were the Pandavas ‘Parivarvaadi’ just because they fought for the culture of their family? Should we be ashamed because our family members fought for the people of the country? My family has nurtured the democracy of this country with their blood.”
#WATCH | You (BJP) talk about 'Pariwarvaad', I want to ask who was Lord Ram? Was he Pariwarvaadi, or were Pandavas Pariwarvaadi? Should we be ashamed because my family fought for the country? My family has nurtured the democracy of this country with their blood: Priyanka G Vadra pic.twitter.com/yKz9grr0Gg
— ANI (@ANI) March 26, 2023
Reminding people of the awkward hug that Rahul Gandhi dramatically gave PM Narendra Modi in the parliament, Ms Vadra said, “We might have different ideologies but we do not have the ideology of hatred. In 2018, Rahul Gandhi gave the PM a hug after his nearly hour-long speech.”
Congress is holding a day-long satyagraha across the country on Sunday, March 26, to protest against party leader Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from the Lok Sabha. The alleged satyagraha is led by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
Rahul Gandhi disqualified from Lok Sabha after his conviction
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from Lok Sabha following his conviction in a criminal defamation case. He was disqualified under section 8(3) of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951, which states that 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.
Rahul Gandhi, the Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad in Kerala, has been disqualified with immediate effect, as section 8(3) of the Representation of Peoples Act states that an MP or MLA will be disqualified from the date of conviction, if the jail sentence awarded is two years or more.
Apart from the current disqualification, Rahul Gandhi will also not be able to contest the next general election, and also perhaps the 2029 elections, if the conviction is not overturned by a higher court. According to the law, the disqualification will continue for six years after release from jail.
