Ashish Ranjan
Germany statement on Rahul Gandhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of “inviting foreign powers to interfere in India’s internal affairs” in response to Germany’s reaction to his disqualification from parliament.
In tweets, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju and Anurag Thakur criticized Mr. Gandhi, reiterating the accusation that he seeks foreign intervention in domestic affairs. The Congress refuted the allegation and challenged the BJP to provide examples of Mr. Gandhi requesting such an intervention. According to his party, Mr. Gandhi’s foreign engagements have consisted solely of him discussing the state of affairs in India and not requesting assistance.
Germany stated on Thursday that “fundamental democratic principles” should be applied to the case of Rahul Gandhi, who was disqualified from the Lok Sabha following his conviction in a defamation case.
Thank you Rahul Gandhi for inviting foreign powers for interference into India’s internal matters. Remember, Indian Judiciary can't be influenced by foreign interference. India won't tolerate 'foreign influence' anymore because our Prime Minister is:- Shri @narendramodi Ji 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/xHzGRzOYTz
— Kiren Rijiju (मोदी का परिवार) (@KirenRijiju) March 30, 2023
During a press briefing, a German foreign ministry spokesperson said, “We have taken note of the verdict of the first instance against the Indian opposition politician Rahul Gandhi and the suspension of his parliamentary mandate. To our knowledge, Mr. Gandhi is able to appeal the verdict.”
“It will then become clear whether or not this verdict will stand and whether or not the suspension of his mandate is justified,” she added.The spokesperson stated that Germany expects the case to adhere to “standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles.”
The United States stated earlier this week that it is monitoring the Rahul Gandhi case and continues to engage with the Indian government regarding their shared commitment to democratic values, including freedom of expression.
Respect for the rule of law and judicial independence is a cornerstone of any democracy, and we are monitoring Mr. Gandhi’s (Rahul Gandhi) case in the Indian courts, as stated by Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel of the United States Department of State.
Last week, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as a Member of Lok Sabha (MP) from the date of his conviction in the criminal defamation case relating to his ‘Modi surname’ comment. Rahul Gandhi was a representative from Kerala’s Wayanad constituency.
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Mr. Gandhi was sentenced to two years in prison for his ‘Modi surname’ remark made in 2019 at an election rally in Karnataka. However, the sentence was suspended for thirty days so he could appeal.
Mr. Gandhi remarked in April 2019 at a Lok Sabha election rally in Kolar, Karnataka, “How come all the thieves have Modi as their common surname?” The criminal defamation complaint against Rahul Gandhi was filed by Purnesh Modi, an MLA for the BJP from Surat West.
