Days after his conviction in a criminal defamation case and subsequent disqualification from Lok Sabha, Congress scion Rahul Gandhi changed his ‘bio’ on Twitter.
“This is the official account of Rahul Gandhi | Member of the Indian National Congress | Dis’Qualified MP,” read his new ‘bio’ on the micro-blogging platform.
This has left netizens wondering why the Congress leader chose to add an apostrophe after the letters ‘Dis’ instead of the simple term ‘disqualified.’ Some social media users have suggested that Rahul Gandhi wants to give the impression that he is qualified but has been forcibly disqualified by the ruling BJP government.
The Background of the Controversy
On Thursday (March 23), Rahul Gandhi was convicted and sentenced to two years in jail by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate in Surat for his defamatory comments against people with the ‘Modi surname’ in a speech in 2019.
A criminal defamation case was filed by Gujarat BJP leader Purnesh Modi after Rahul Gandhi in an election rally had asked why everyone with the Modi surname is a thief, mentioning Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi and Narendra Modi. PM Modi belongs to the ‘Ghanchi’ community which falls under the Other Backward Caste (OBC). Hence, Purnesh Modi had said how this kind of comment by an MP is an insult to the OBC community.
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.
