From KCR to Kejriwal, Chief Ministers condemn Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification

New Delhi/Hyderabad: Reacting to his disqualification as a member of the Lok Sabha, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted: “I am fighting for the voice of India, I am ready to pay any price.”

मैं भारत की आवाज़ के लिए लड़ रहा हूं।

मैं हर कीमत चुकाने को तैयार हूं।

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 24, 2023

Announcing Mr. Gandhi’s disqualification, the Lok Sabha Secretariat, in a notification, said it would be effective from 23 March, the day of his conviction.

Following this, BRS president and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Friday strongly condemned Mr. Gandhi’s disqualification and alleged that the move was the “zenith of Narendra Modi’s arrogance and dictatorial attitude.”

KCR said, “Today is a black day in the history of democracy in India,” and added that all those who want democracy to flourish should condemn the NDA government’s misdeeds. He alleged that it was “blameworthy” that the Modi government was not only misusing Constitutional institutions but also using Parliament, the apex platform for democracy, for its “despicable actions.”

Stating that democracy and Constitutional values were facing tough times, KCR said Modi’s rule overshadows the Emergency. Harassing Opposition leaders has become a common occurrence, KCR said in a statement. Modi was inviting his downfall by disqualifying Opposition leaders for the sake of deceitful persons, he further claimed.

Observing that this was not the time for differences among political parties, KCR said all democrats should condemn the misdeeds of the BJP government to safeguard democracy and Constitutional values in the country.

Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha on Friday, a day after he was convicted by a Surat court in a 2019 criminal defamation case.

Kejriwal’s blistering attack

AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched a blistering attack on the Centre over the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha, saying it was “shocking” and that the country was passing through very difficult times. He referred to the Congress MP’s disqualification in a speech in the Delhi Assembly and said the BJP was scared.

Later, talking to reporters, he said it was “quite a worrisome situation.” He added, “It’s not just a fight of the Congress or Rahul Gandhi, it's a fight of the entire Opposition.”

Mr. Kejriwal alleged that the BJP wanted to create a situation wherein there is just one party in the country. This is “dictatorship” and the BJP government is “more dangerous” than the British rulers before Independence, he alleged and condemned Mr. Gandhi’s disqualification in a tweet.

“The disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha is shocking. The country is passing through very difficult times. They have terrorised the entire country. One hundred and thirty crore people will have to unite against this arrogant power,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.

आज देश में जो चल रहा है बहुत ख़तरनाक है। विपक्ष को ख़त्म करके ये लोग वन-नेशन वन-पार्टी का माहौल बनाना चाहते हैं, इसी को तो तानाशाही कहते हैं।

मेरी देशवासियों से अपील है- हमें मिलकर आगे आना होगा, जनतंत्र बचाना है, देश बचाना है। pic.twitter.com/rp4qX6QN3P

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) March 24, 2023

Insult to our democratic values: Pinarayi Vijayan

Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the hasty decision to disqualify Rahul Gandhi as a member of the Lok Sabha is yet another episode in BJP authoritarian rampage against Indian democracy. “This brazen assault is an insult to our democratic values and can’t be overlooked. It must be unequivocally denounced,” he said.

BJP wants to murder democracy: Bhupesh Baghel

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel claimed a “dictator” was trying to scare someone who is telling the whole nation “don’t be afraid.” He also said such measures were taken against then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi but she returned triumphant, an apparent reference to two years of Janata Party rule after Emergency and her sweeping victory in the 1980 Lok Sabha polls.

He said the Bharatiya Janata Party wants to murder democracy and action against Mr. Gandhi was its “living example.”

He tweeted, “The greatest fear of a dictator is that people will stop fearing him (one day). You want to scare the one who is telling the whole nation not to be afraid. Some people did the same mistake with Indira ji and the rest is history. Will meet here in the people’s court. There will be people and mass leaders. The only thing which will not be there is fear and dictators.”

Inputs from PTI