NEW DELHI: Welcoming the remarks of opposition leaders slamming the government over disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on Friday that the party would take up the job of building opposition unity in a systematic way.
Jairam Ramesh, who addressed a press conference after a meeting of Congress leaders, said parties which were not part of this floor coordination in parliament have also issued public statements condemning this action of disqualification of Rahul Gandhi.
“We welcome statements of all the opposition leaders, there was a consensus that we should now take the job of building opposition unity in a systematic way. Now the coordination has to be outside parliament,” he said.
“It is heartening to know that some parties which were not part of this floor coordination in parliament have also issued public statements condemning this action of disqualification of Rahul Gandhi,” he added.
Various opposition leaders came out in support of Rahul Gandhi and slammed the Centre over his disqualification.
Opposition leaders including those belonging to NCP, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party and Aam Aadmi Party slammed the government over disqualification of Rahul Gandhi.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said those who want to “destroy the nation” should stay in the BJP while those who want to “save the nation” from ruin must leave.
“Never before in the history of India was there a PM, who is just a 12th pass. He can’t run the country and lets his ego guide his actions. I urge all BJP leaders to consider leaving the party as the country is being destroyed under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Those who want the nation destroyed can stay with the BJP while those who want to save it from ruin must leave,” Kejriwal said.
“Now the people of the country will have to come forward and fight this undemocratic regime. If we want to save the country, 130 crore Indians will have to come forward and lead the fight. It doesn’t matter which party comes to power. What is of concern is the way our democracy is being tarnished and attacked,” the Delhi CM added.
TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has been a fierce critic of the BJP and the central government, said that Opposition leaders are being disqualified over speeches, BJP leaders with “criminal antecedents” were being made ministers.
“In PM Modi’s New India, Opposition leaders have become the prime target of the BJP! While BJP leaders with criminal antecedents are inducted into the cabinet, Opposition leaders are disqualified for their speeches. Today, we have witnessed a new low for our constitutional democracy,” she said in a tweet.
Bharat Rashtra Samithi chief and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, termed it a “black day” for democracy and “height of PM Modi’s arrogance”.
“Today is a Black Day in the history of Indian democracy. Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from Parliament is the height of Narendra Modi’s arrogance and dictatorship. This is not the time for conflicts between parties. All democrats should openly condemn the misdeeds of the BJP government to safeguard the democracy and constitutional values of the country,” he said.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also condemned Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification.
“The political challenge does not end with the hijacking of one’s membership of Parliament. The biggest movement is not the one in Parliament. We have to win this fight on the streets. The person who moved court claiming defamation should level a similar charge at people, who betrayed their country and fled abroad,” Akhilesh tweeted in Hindi.
DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin called for urgent relook at the action taken against Rahul Gandhi.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the decision to disqualify Rahul Gandhi was taken in “haste” and is “yet another episode in BJP’s 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,” Vijayan tweeted.
Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from Lok Sabha a day after his conviction in a criminal defamation case by a Surat court.
He was convicted and sentenced for two years over his “Modi surname” remarks made at a 2019 rally in Karnataka. (ANI)