Rahul Gandhi Disqualified: Shinde Attacks Leader Over Savarkar Barb; Cong Plans 'Sankalp Satyagraha' as BJP Holds Counter-stir

Congress said it will hold day-long ‘Satyagraha’ in solidarity with party leader Rahul Gandhi who held his first press conference on Saturday since his disqualification from Lok Sabha. Gandhi, in a bold statement, refused to apologise for his remarks made in the UK and said he would continue to defend democracy. READ MORE

Union Minister Anurag Thakur said took to Twitter to comment on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from Lok Sabha. “Elected representatives automatically stand disqualified moment they are convicted by Hon. court to jail for two or more years. GOI and LS have no role to play. It can’t suspend or revoke disqualification,” he wrote.

The Congress will organise a day-long ‘Satyagraha’ on Sunday in solidarity with Rahul Gandhi in front of Gandhi statues at all states and district headquarters to protest against his disqualification from the Lok Sabha. The satyagraha will begin at 10 AM and end at 5 PM.

Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Kamal Nath called for the BJP to answer Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s questions instead f making false allegations. In a series of tweets, the senior Congress leader said, “Instead of making false allegations here and there, the Bharatiya Janata Party should answer the questions that Rahul Gandhi has asked the Government and the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Prime Minister and the Government are completely besieged by the questions of Rahul Gandhi.”

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his “derogatory and unparliamentary statements” on PM Modi’s caste. “Today the Congress people are sitting with their mouths shut. Rahul Gandhi ji, why didn’t you shut your mouth when you used to make derogatory, unparliamentary statements for Modi caste?” he said.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who had launched a scathing attack at the BJP over his disqualification from the Lo Sabha in a tweet said: “BJP is saying, attack on Adani is attack on the country. For them the country is Adani and Adani is the country. After all, why is the Prime Minister using all his might to save Adani?!”

Police detain Congress workers during their protest against Centre over disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha, in Kolkata. (PTI Photo/Swapan Mahapatra)

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday hit out at his former colleague Rahul Gandhi and said, “Karma has finally caught up to him.” He said Rahul Gandhi could have apologised or withdrawn the comments for which he was sentenced by a Surat court. READ MORE

Congress neta Rahul Gandhi has been in the eye of the storm following his disqualification as a Lok Sabha MP. While addressing a press conference on Saturday, the former Wayanad MP schooled a journalist and asked him to be a ‘better pressman’. READ MORE

Senior BJP leader and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the BJP will launch a nationwide stir against Rahul Gandhi’s statement which “humiliated” the OBC community. “As an opposition leader, Gandhi was entitled to criticise, but not abuse anybody. His remarks, indeed, were abusive and not critical. It denigrated the OBCs, a social group to which Prime Minister Narendra Modi belongs. The BJP is going to take up this humiliation of OBCs very seriously and launch a nationwide stir,” he said.

Senior BJP leader and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad dismissed allegations by Congress Rahul Gandhi that the latter was disqualified from the Lok Sabha as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “scared” to address the Adani issue. “We are not here to hold brief for Adani. But Gandhi has sought to mislead the people to link his disqualification with Adani. He has been disqualified because of conviction in a case that relates to defamatory remarks he made in 2019,” he said.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati referred to the Emergency as she attacked both the Congress and the BJP, saying political malice and hatred had not benefited the country in the past and neither will in the future. In a series of tweets in Hindi she said: “It is very sad and unfortunate. Political malice, hatred, etc. towards each other have neither benefited the country in the past nor is it going to benefit it in the future,”

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said the party is planning a nationwide protest ‘Sankalp Satyagraha’ from tomorrow against Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from Lok Sabha. “We are planning a nationwide movement tomorrow, we are doing a ‘Sankalp Satyagraha’ from 10 AM onwards. All over India, our party workers are there we will do the Sankalp Satyagraha in all state headquarters & at Gandhi statues,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.

Rahul Gandhi has not only criticised PM Modi but has defamed the entire OBC community. He is continuing to speak in the same tone and I want to tell him that if he continues to do so, it will be difficult for him to walk on the road. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in his first presser since his disqualification from the Lok Sabha, said he has always talked about brotherhood and the issue was not about OBCs but about Adani and his ties the government.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde dismissed claims of the BJP government’s role in Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from Lok Sabha and said, “Rahul Gandhi has been suspended by the law which was made by Congress itself. Lalu Yadav and several others were disqualified but nothing of this sort happened then. Wasn’t democracy in danger then?”

Maharashtra Chief Minister Savarkar Eknath Shinde slammed Rahul Gandhi for his ‘Sarvarkar’ remarks in the Assembly and said, “Savarkar is not only Maharashtra’s deity but is an idol for the whole country and Rahul Gandhi has defamed him. Any criticism of Rahul Gandhi will be lesser for his this deed. Today also, he said that I am not Savarkar who will apologise. What does he think of Savarkar? He must be punished for this.” At a press conference today, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi refused demands by the BJP to apologise for his UK remarks and said, “my name is not Savarkar. I am a Gandhi. I won’t apologise.”

Congress leader, in his first comments after being disqualified from the Lok Sabha on Saturday launched a scathing attack against the BJP-led government at the Centre and said the move to disqualify him was because Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “too scared” to address the Adani issue in his next speech. READ MORE

Congress Rajya Sabha Pramod Tiwari MP said “Rahul Gandhi’s family should be treated differently by the law. His grandmother & father have sacrificed their lives for the nation. The law must give minimum punishment. BJP is scared that their theft may be caught.”

Congress supporters demonstrate over disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in Nadia district, Saturday. (PTI Photo)

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Rahul Gandhi is not disqualified by the Government and claimed there was nothing nothing “political” about the move. “He is convicted by the Court because he used unparliamentary words against the OBC community and as a consequence of the pronouncement of the Court, he has been disqualified. This is a judicial process, there’s nothing political about it,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.