Congress must seize the advantage over Rahul disqualification

| MARCH 25, 2023, 12:31 AM IST

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi ceased to be a member of parliament after his conviction and sentencing in a 2019 defamation case in a Surat court. Though Rahul was granted bail and his sentence was suspended for 30 days to allow an appeal, the conviction meant that the MP representing Wayanad stood legally disqualified. Section 8(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, calls for disqualification when an MP is convicted for an offence and sentenced to at least two years.

The development has opened a pandora’s box in political circles with major political parties, including TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal calling it an attempt to silence voices against the Narendra Modi-led government.

Rahul’s sentence and subsequent disqualification come as a shocker because it comes amid a sea of hardened political pitches with doses of defamation and personal banter. Parties and leaders have been spewing venom against each other in the electoral arena in desperate attempts to humiliate and embarrass rivals. The Gandhis and Nehrus have been central to BJP attacks for years. Dynasty politics has seen inflamed speeches against tall leaders trampling upon even their legacies. An outrageous statement in 2017 by LK Advani that “all Muslims are not terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims” has gone unchallenged.

On the flip side, the Opposition leaders, including the Gandhis, have been highly critical of Modi and the BJP. Chowkidar Chor Hai was once the favourite slogan of the Congress. Provocations and fiery outbursts have always been multi-directional and a constant in Indian politics. The Lakshman Rekha of defamation has been repeatedly breached in political discourses, with systemic checks and balances and scrutiny failing miserably.

Against the backdrop of the muck and ferocity that campaigns carry, Rahul’s comment of 2019 on ‘Modis’ and ‘Chors’ appears insignificant. Moreover, none of the Modis named in the speech objected to or challenged the statement.

While the BJP is facing scorn and criticism, the development will still work in favour of the Congress because it is an indirect endorsement of Rahul being a threat to the government, thanks to his Bharat Jodo Yatra and the UK escapades.

The sentence and disqualification may have come as a jolt from the blue, but it could be a crucial glue that brings the Opposition closer. While the BJP is at the receiving end, the focus shifts to Rahul and Congress and how they move to galvanise public support further.

The verdict is not the end of the road for the Congress leader, and a legal challenge to the judgment remains certain. However, it is to be seen whether Congress succeeds in keeping the momentum and goes all guns blazing or will only try and find comfort in the sympathy pouring in.

Finally, Rahul may emerge unscathed with his stature restored and return with his head and confidence high, but the question is whether the Opposition will be ready to rally behind him from here.

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