Congress abandoned Rahul, didn’t use legal remedies to counter disqualification: Anurag Thakur

New Delhi (India), March 29, 2023: Union Minister Anurag Thakur has raised questions over the Congress party’s silence during Rahul Gandhi’s conviction in a defamation case, which resulted in his disqualification from Parliament.

Speaking at the “Times Network India Digital Fest” on Tuesday, Thakur questioned if it was a deliberate move and part of a larger conspiracy within the party. He also referred to Gandhi as a “loose cannon” and a “serial offender” who has multiple cases of defamation against him, even after being cautioned by the Supreme Court.

Thakur emphasized that neither the government nor the Lok Sabha secretariat had any role in Gandhi’s disqualification from the Lok Sabha. He said that as per the Representation of the People Act, Gandhi stood disqualified from the moment he was sentenced to a two-year jail term in the criminal defamation case.

Thakur also questioned the Congress party’s lack of support for Gandhi in the defamation case, despite the presence of several eminent lawyers in the party.

The Union Minister accused the Congress of derailing the ongoing budget session of Parliament after it refused to apologize for Gandhi’s remarks about “maligning India” on foreign soil. He also rejected the opposition’s charge that the BJP government was on the defensive on the Adani issue, saying that SBI, LIC, RBI, and SEBI had already issued statements on the matter.

Thakur slammed the Congress party and accused them of prioritizing the Gandhi family over the nation. He claimed that since 2013, 12 lawmakers have lost their Parliament membership due to their involvement in criminal offenses, but the Congress party still prioritizes the family over the country’s judiciary, people, and Parliament proceedings.