New Delhi: Launching a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, one day after he was disqualified from Parliament, Rahul Gandhi accused Modi of being scared of his next speech, specifically one on the Adani group, and claimed to have seen fear in the Prime Minister's eyes.
Gandhi was responding to criticism from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that he had defamed the country during recent overseas interactions with stakeholders in the UK, and had sought the intervention of international forces in the domestic affairs of the country.
Denying the allegation, the senior Congress leader said that he had only asked the Speaker to let him respond to accusations levelled made against him in Parliament. He also used a reference to Veer Savarkar to answer why he did not apologize for his remarks in London and during the defamation trial in which he was convicted.
"My name is not Savarkar. I am a Gandhi. I won't apologize," he said. The Congress leader went on to say that he had only one step, which was to fight for truth and defend the democratic nature of the country, and that he would continue to do so regardless of any obstacles put in his way.
Gandhi's reaction to his disqualification from Parliament came during a media interaction at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters, where he was flanked by senior Congress leaders. Earlier in the day, he met with his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at his residence to discuss the planned press conference.
Also Read: Live Updates: Disqualified because PM Modi is scared of my next speech on Adani in Parliament
Rahul Gandhi was convicted by a court in Gujarat's Surat on Thursday that sentenced him to two years in jail in a criminal defamation case. He was subsequently disqualified as an MP on Friday, triggering a sharp response from opposition camps. The Congress party has been staging protests across the country, calling the action a knee-capping reaction from the ruling BJP government in the center. The Congress has also planned to move the court against the conviction of the lower court that handed out the maximum term of two years.
Also Read: Disqualify me, Put me in Jail but I shall not stop questioning: Rahul Gandhi
The Adani group has been a contentious issue in Indian politics, with the opposition accusing the government of favouring the company and allowing it to benefit from various policies and contracts. Rahul Gandhi has been particularly vocal about this issue, claiming that the government is helping Adani at the expense of the people.
The disqualification of Rahul Gandhi has raised questions about the state of Indian democracy, with some critics accusing the government of trying to silence dissenting voices. The Congress party has vowed to continue fighting for its principles and has called on the people of India to support them in this struggle. The BJP, for its part, has defended the disqualification, saying that it was a legal process that was carried out according to the rules.
