Live: 'Send Me To Jail Too But Truth Is...': Priyanka Gandhi At Cong Satyagraha
Catch all live updates about the Congress Satyagraha against the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from Parliament.
Watch Live: Rahul Gandhi Address Media a Day His Lok Sabha Disqualification
(Photo: PTI/The Quint)
Two days after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from the parliament over his conviction in a defamation case, the party is slated to observe a day-long Satyagraha on Sunday, 26 March, against the move.
The Satyagraha will be headed by Party president Mallikarjun Kharge and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at Raj Ghat in Delhi.
It will also be staged in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s statues at all states and district headquarters, from 10 am to 5 pm.
What has happened so far:
To counter what is being seen as the Narendra Modi government's biggest attack, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi addressed the media on Saturday, 25 March
Training guns at the Centre, Gandhi said that BJP ministers and leaders have been tasked to spread lies about him only because he has been questioning PM Modi's relationship with business tycoon Gautam Adani
Political slugfest ensued across party lines on Friday as the Opposition leaders rallied behind Gandhi to condemn the Modi government's move, calling it "dictatorial" and "arrogant
Gandhi was convicted by a trial court in Gujarat on Thursday, 23 March, in a criminal defamation case for a remark he made on the Modi surname in 2019
Following this, the Lok Sabha secretariat issued a notice on Friday, 24 March, to disqualify Rahul Gandhi over his conviction in the defamation case
'Conspiracy To Weaken Youth Leader': Ashok Gehlot
Rajasthan Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot said that the BJP has "hatched a conspiracy to weaken a youth leader" at a time when the popularity of the Bharat Jodo Yatra was rising.
At Congress party's Sankalp Satyagraha in Delhi, he told news agency ANI:
"In 50 years of my political career, I have never seen an issue arise, allegations levelled and political leaders not give a reply. This is the first such incident after Independence when the Prime Minister, instead of answering the allegations, is not even uttering Adani's name," Gehlot added.
Rahul Gandhi's Disqualification Means Ending Democracy: Prithviraj Chavan
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said that the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha "means hurting and ending democracy."
"We are making an effort to protect democracy. This is our peaceful Satyagraha. Further course of action will be decided...We'll legally appeal against this action (disqualification), and a legal battle will be fought. Political battle will continue, as you can see," Chavan told news agency ANI.
Congress Leaders Hold 'Sankalp Satyagraha' In Mumbai
Congress leaders and workers from Maharashtra hold Sankalp Satyagraha in Mumbai, to protest against the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as a Lok Sabha MP.
Prithviraj Chavan, Balasaheb Thorat, Bhai Jagtap and others are participating in the Satyagraha.
'Satyagraha About The Very System Of Democracy': Shashi Tharoor
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor told the media that this (Satyagraha) is not just about Congress party or Rahul Gandhi, this is about Indian democracy. "Is it good for our democracy when the principal opposition leader is not allowed to raise his voice in Parliament where we have a PM who speaks to the world about India as the as the mother of democracy, is this good for our country?," Tharoor told news agency ANI.
"It is about the very system of democracy itself, a system in which people should be free to speak, free to express their views, free to challenge the govt with questions and hold the government accountable. This was the vision of opposition that PM Modi himself had called for," he added.
Congress Leaders Detained in Ahmedabad
Congress calls off protest in Ahmedabad after police deny permission for the sit-in and detain protesting leaders.
Satyagraha at Full Swing in Uttarakhand Too
In Uttarakhand too, Congress workers participate in the Satyagraha against Rahul Gandhi's disqualification. Besides Raj Ghat in Delhi, the sit-in is also being staged in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s statues at all states and district headquarters, from 10 am to 5 pm.
'...Truth Is PM Modi is A Coward': Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
"Send me to jail too but truth is PM Modi is a Coward," Priyanka Gandhi Vadra says in her address at Rajghat.
'My Family Has Nurtured Democracy...': Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
You (BJP) talk about 'Pariwarvaad', I want to ask who was Lord Ram? Was he Pariwarvaadi, or were Pandavas Pariwarvaadi? Should we be ashamed because my family fought for the country? My family has nurtured the democracy of this country with their blood," Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, says in her address at the Satyagraha.
'Let People Decide...': Kharge
"Let people decide… why have you disqualified Rahul?," targetting the BJP on Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha disqualification, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said.
Police To Now Maintain Law & Order
Initially, police officials said that protest outside the memorial has never been allowed and section 144 has been imposed to avoid any protests. However, since protesters have gathered, the police said they would maintain law and order by deploying more personnel in the area, The Indian Express reports.
In Photos: Priyanka Gandhi At Rajghat For Satyagraha
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Arrives At Rajghat
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra arrives at Rajghat to attend the party's Sankalp Satyagraha.
Delhi Police Denies Permission For Satyagraha
Delhi Police has Denied Permission to Congress to Hold Protest at Rajghat and has also imposed Section 144.
Congress Leaders Gather in Raj Ghat
Congress leader Jagdish Tytler joins party's Sankalp Satyagraha at Rajghat, news agency ANI reports.
Satyagraha To Begin At 10 Am
The Congress will start its day-long Satyagraha across states at 10 am today. The protest will be headed by Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at Raj Ghat in Delhi.
In Photos: Nationwide Protests Erupt Against Rahul Gandhi's Disqualification
Opposition legislators including Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena (UBT) protest against Rahul Gandhi's disqualification, at Vidhan Bhavan.
NSUI workers being detained by the police during a protest againt the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha.
Police detain Congress workers during their protest against Centre over the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha.
Gurugram: Youth Congress workers raise slogans during a protest against the Union Government over disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha.
Kolkata: Youth Congress activists march towards Governors house during a protest against the Centre over disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha.
Kochi: Congress women leaders shout slogans during a protest against the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Hyderabad: Telangana Women Congress President Sunitha Mogli Mudhiraj and other leaders stage a protest in front of the BJP Telangana office against the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha.
New Delhi: Indian Youth Congress President Srinivas BV and Congress workers raise slogans during a protest against the Union Government over disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha.
'Rahul Gandhi Teling Lies': BJP on Rahul's Media Address
Reacting to Rahul Gandhi's address attacking the BJP and Gautam Adani, senior leader and Patna MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the Congress leader was telling lies without any facts.
"He tried to distract from the real issue. He has been punished for a statement he made in 2019. He claims to think before he speaks. So, I am sure he thought before he spoke in 2019 too," he said.
"Modis are from the OBC community. He humiliated the community publicly. He can criticise, he cannot abuse," he added.
Prasad's claims that he is being targeted and framed have nothing to do with Adani issue, Prasad said.
Congress Workers Protest in Bhopal
Congress workers staged a protest against the Union Government over disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha, in Bhopal.
'Democracy is Over in India': Rahul Gandhi
Attacking PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi said: "Democracy is over in India. People cannot say what they want and the mechanism behind that is the relationship of Modi and Adani. I am not raising questions on PM Modi, I am raising questions on Gautam Adani. Why is the BJP not questioning Adani?"
"My job is to defend the democratic nature of the country, which means defending the institutions of the country, defending the voice of the poor people of the country and telling people the truth about people like Adani who are exploiting the relationship they have with the PM," he said.
'PM Modi is in Panic Mode': Rahul Gandhi
Addressing the media, Rahul Gandhi said: "PM Modi is in panic mode. To distract from Adani's Rs 20,000 crore scam, they disqualified me."
"The people of India know that Adani is a corrupt man. So the question is, why is PM Modi shielding him?" he asked.
"For these people, the country is Adani, and Adani is the country," he said.
He further said that the allegations of him "humiliating the OBCs" with his Modi surname remark is just a way to distract from the demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on Adani issue.
'Don't Want to Comment on Sentencing'
Reacting to the Gujarat court's verdict, Rahul Gandhi said that the matter is "subjudice in court and it would not be right to comment on it."
Rahul Gandhi Addresses Media
Here are the key highlights of Rahul Gandhi's address a day after his disqualification.
I have said many times before that democracy is being attacked in the country. We are seeing examples of this each day. I asked questions in the Parliament regarding the relationship between PM Modi and Adani.
My speech made in Parliament was expunged, and later I wrote a detailed reply to the Lok Sabha Speaker. Some ministers lied about me, that I sought help from foreign powers. But I have done no such thing.
I had asked only one question on Adani... I will continue to ask questions and fight for democracy in India.
This is the whole drama that is been orchestrated to defend the Prime Minister from the simple question- Who's Rs 20,000 crore went to Adani's shell companies? I am not scared of these threats, disqualifications or prison sentences.
Prime Minister is scared what I would reveal next about Adani, so they disqualified me.
'BJP Insulting Our Intelligence': Kapil Sibal
Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Saturday called the BJP's claim of Rahul Gandhi insulting OBCs with his "Modi surname" remark in 2019 an "absurd allegation".
The court in Gujarat's Surat sentenced Gandhi to two years in jail in a defamation case filed on a complaint by BJP MLA Purnesh Modi for his remark - "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?"
Addressing a press conference on Friday, BJP leaders and Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Anurag Thakur had accused Gandhi of insulting OBCs, a line that all party leaders are now following.
Rahul Gandhi's Disqualification Unconstitutional: Sharad Pawar
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's disqualification as a Lok Sabha member is unconstitutional, said Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar.
"The disqualification of Mr Rahul Gandhi and Mr Faizal a few months ago as MP’s of the Lok Sabha are against the basic tenets of the constitution, where democratic values are being curtailed. This is condemnable and against the very principles on which the constitution is based," he tweeted.
"Our constitution guarantees the right of each Individual to fair justice; liberty of thought; equality of status and opportunity and fraternity assuring the dignity of each Indian," he added.
Rahul Gandhi to Address Media at 1:00 pm
Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to address media at 1:00 pm at the party headquarters in Delhi.
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