Congress’ day-long satyagraha today against Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification

From 10am to 5pm today, the Congress will observe a day-long satyagraha protesting the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha after a Surat court convicted him in a 2019 defamation case.

While Rahul Gandhi has been at the centre of the political controversy dominating Parliament for the last few weeks, the disqualification brings the opposition parties together, with Rahul Gandhi throwing a challenge to the government on the Adani issue — and the BJP condemning Rahul Gandhi’s behaviour.

Rahul Gandhi, Adani, defamation, Savarkar, Satyagraha: 10 points

1. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will sit in the satyagraha at Raj Ghat in New Delhi. All Pradesh Congress Committees have been asked to organise a day-long satyagraha in front of Gandhi statues.

2. Rahul Gandhi addressed a press conference on Saturday, the first after his disqualification, and said he does not care whether he is permanently disqualified; he will continue raising questions over ‘PM Modi’s relationship with Adani’.

3. Rahul Gandhi thanked the opposition parties for supporting him on the question of disqualification and said it is time to work together.

4. On the Adani issue, Rahul Gandhi said he faced disqualification because PM Modi is scared of his next speech on Adani. “I have seen fear in his eyes,” Rahul Gandhi said.

5. Union minister Anurag Thakur said Rahul Gandhi is not the first MP to face disqualification. “RG is a case of political immaturity, losing whatsoever little trust left, for gimmicks and cheap popularity,” Anurag Thakur said.

6. BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday said the Congress did not seek a stay on the conviction of the Surat court immediately because they want to encash the episode in Karnataka.

7. “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,” the BJP spokesperson said.

8. On the question of an apology in connection with the defamation case, Rahul Gandhi said, “I am not a Savarkar. Gandhis don’t apologise.”

9. Rahul Gandhi’s fresh attack on Savarkar riled Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde who demanded an apology for the ‘derogatory’ remark. “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,” Shinde said.

10. The Congress said it will approach a higher court to contest the Surat court order which sentenced him to two years’ imprisonment.