‘Rahul was in favor of disqualification..’: Assam CM
Guwahati (IANS) | Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday criticized the Congress over the issue of disqualification of former Congress President Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha after his conviction in a defamation case. Sarma said, “When the Manmohan Singh government tried to bring an ordinance to relieve MPs from disqualification after serving a jail term of two or more years, it was Rahul Gandhi who publicly tore the ordinance and pleaded disqualification immediately after conviction.”
“Do you consider the former Wayanad MP as your leader or not,” Sarma asked Congress legislators in the state in the Assam Assembly.
Sarma said in the assembly, “At that time Rahul Gandhi was in favor of immediate disqualification and also said that his party follows the same stand. But now, he is cursing either Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Who has no role in Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification.”
Sarma also talked about the chain of events in 2013 that led to Rahul Gandhi tearing up the cabinet ordinance.
He said: “In Lily Thomas v. Union of India, the Supreme Court held Section 8(4) of the Representation of the People Act to be outside the purview of the Constitution. Therefore, disqualification on conviction is automatic and immediate. Kapil Sibal, the then Law Minister in the UPA government had also filed a review petition at that time.”
“However, after the review petition was dismissed, the UPA government brought the ordinance, which was publicly rejected by Rahul Gandhi,” Sarma said.
He said, “The Congress party’s opposition to Rahul’s immediate disqualification is astonishing. As Rahul Gandhi in 2013 had ‘rejected’ his own government and said, a conviction for two years or more would result in disqualification. should be immediate, and there should be no interim relief.”
The Assam chief minister further claimed that Rahul Gandhi’s remarks, which resulted in his conviction, were directed at the ‘whole community’.
The Assam CM said, “Rahul Gandhi had several opportunities to repent and apologize during the court proceedings. The court ruled against him because he refused to apologise.”
Sarma also lashed out at state Congress leaders for bringing a motion to discuss Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification in the state assembly.
Sarma asked the Congress leaders, “Court judgments can go in favor of a person or even against him. But will you start a protest and demand an adjournment motion just because a certain judgment was against you?”
He further said, if the court convicts me in any case, will BJP MLAs protest wearing black clothes tomorrow? No. We can appeal against this decision in the Sessions Court, High Court or Supreme Court, but we will never challenge the law.
Sarma said that the habit of criticizing the judiciary is harmful for the country’s democracy.
–IANS
