“We’ll not stop protests until Rahul Gandhi returns as MP”: Appachan

Wayanad (Kerala) [India], March 26 (ANI): Protesting against the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as a Lok Sabha MP, Wayanad District Congress Committee (DCC) chief ND Appachan said that they will not stop the protests until Rahul Gandhi returns as MP.

Rahul Gandhi was a former MP from Wayanad.
DCC of Wayanad has organised a Satyagraha in the district, against Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification as MP.

“We will not stop the protests until Rahul Gandhi returns as MP”, said Congress’ Wayanad leader ND Appachan.

Rahul Gandhi, on Friday, was disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha, a day after a Surat court sentenced him to two years imprisonment in a defamation case filed against him over his ‘Modi surname’ remark.

Addressing the protest, Appachan said, “All political movements will unite against BJP’s anti-fascist action. I do not expect by-elections in Wayanad. Rahul Gandhi will return as MP. There is hope and faith in the court. Now let the court say.”

“The situation that destroys democracy should be changed. The people of Wayanad will not be silent until he returns as MP. That’s for sure. We will make any sacrifice,” Appachan added.

Earlier, Appachan also said that the party will observe “Black Day” on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in Kerala, VD Satheesan said that the action against Rahul Gandhi was “hasty and politically motivated”.

“The order disqualifying Rahul Gandhi from the post of MP in Lok Sabha was hasty and politically motivated. Congress will face the action of Lok Sabha Secretariat politically as well as legally”, LoP said.

Satheesan said, “The decision of the Surat court is not final. Congress believes in democracy and rule of law. The country has a legal system that extends up to the Supreme Court. Rahul Gandhi will come back through the legal route. Neither Rahul nor Congress can be silenced by this. We will still raise our voice for democracy and secular values.”

Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification came pertaining to his remark made in April 2019, where he had said “how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname” at a Lok Sabha election rally at Kolar in Karnataka.

The court approved Gandhi’s bail on a surety and stayed the sentence for 30 days to allow him to approach the higher courts.

Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from Lok Sabha triggered a massive political row with the BJP stating that the Congress leader was “a habitual loose cannon” and the Congress alleging that he was got “deliberately disqualified”.

The Congress party on Friday came down heavily at the Centre over the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as a Lok Sabha member, calling it a “strangulation of democracy” while exuding confidence that the disqualification will be revoked through a stay on his conviction by a higher court.