SHILLONG:
National People’s Party president and Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma came to the defence of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday, when he termed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “unfortunate” following his conviction in a defamation case by a Surat court.
Reacting to Gandhi’s disqualification by Lok Sabha on Friday following the court’s verdict, in which Gandhi has been handed a 2-year jail term, Conrad said it was unfortunate that Gandhi did not accept the court’s verdict and the rules of the Election Commission of India.
Terming Gandhi’s remark an insult “to the entire OBC community,” Sangma said Gandhi should apologise and correct his course.
“The Congress faced a difficult situation in 2014 and 2019,” he said, adding that he predicts the case to further affect Congress’s prospects in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
RAHUL: WILL ACCEPT VERDICT, BUT NEVER APOLOGISE
However, a combative Gandhi on Saturday did accept the verdict, but stated that he would continue to defend the democratic nature of the country even if he is disqualified from Parliament for life or jailed for as long as possible.
He further claimed that a “panic-stricken” government has handed the Opposition a “weapon” with the move to disqualify him.
The comment by Gandhi came at his first press conference after his disqualification from Lok Sabha, where he also said the case against him is further evidence of a ruling party “scared” of his next speech, where he was scheduled to raise the Adani controversy. He called the verdict a “whole game” to distract people from various reports claiming irregularities in the Adani Group activities.
“I am here defending the democratic voice of the Indian people, I will continue to do that. I am not scared of these threats, of these disqualifications, allegations, prison sentences. I am not scared of them. These people don’t understand me yet, I am not scared of them,” he said.
THE THREE MODIS
Readers may be reminded that, during his election speech on April 13, 2019, in Kolar, Karnataka, Gandhi made a tongue-in-cheek remark that people with the surname ‘Modi’ often come to the fore as ‘thieves’.
Besides the prime minister, Gandhi was referring to founder of the Indian Premier League Lalit Modi, who is currently a fugitive from justice squatting in his London mansion, as well as Nirav Modi, who is also on the run.
In the controversial speech, Gandhi also mentioned wealthy fugitives Mehul Choksi, uncle of Nirav Modi, and Vijay Mallya.
DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS
Sangma’s own opinions in the matter come as an irony, as he was quick to dismiss statements by BJP – in particular Modi and Home minister Amit Shah – terming Meghalaya the most corrupt state in India under Sangma’s administration as election rhetoric.
“In the political elections and campaigns, we have seen that these kinds of statements are made,” he had said at the time, even while Hynñiewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation on February 18 had threatened to file a defamation case against Shah.