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Friday, August 22, 2025

Black day for Indian democracy, massive protests across the country

IndiaBlack day for Indian democracy, massive protests across the country
Black day for Indian democracy, massive protests across the country
Black day for Indian democracy, massive protests across the country
Rita F. Mukand
By Rita F. Mukand

Congress spokesperson Alok Sharma said: “Give me an example where a national leader was suspended because of the order of the lower court.”

The entire procedure did not follow any protocol and was despotic and done hastily.  A national leader can never be suspended by a lower court and that too, for a very flimsy reason.  Because of his tremendous popularity and exuberance from the masses during Bharat Jodo Yatra over the country, it appears the BJP is trying to hammer him down.

Indians alarmed at the sheer despotic move took to Twitter to hashtag it as a Black Day for Indian Democracy.

The DMK party said:  “Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification is not just an attack on the Congress. Assault on Constitutional Rights.”

New York Times wrote about it:  “Breaking News: Rahul Gandhi was expelled from India’s Parliament, removing one of the last national figures opposing Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”

Congress Youth said: “When Democracy is at stake, political action should also be massive It’s been 3 hrs since the Karnataka- AP border has been blocked by

@IYCKarnataka

in protest against the tyranny of the Modi-Shah duo! Fight shall continue till justice prevails. #BlackDayForIndianDemocracy

It was shocking to see the CPM Pinani Kerala government clamp down on the Congress protestors with a brutal lathi charge in Kerala.

Indian Youth Congress said, “We condemn the brutal Lathi Charge against the protesting
@IYCKerala workers during Rajbhawan Gherao against Black Day.  Kerala government joined hand in hand with BJP to crush the voice of opposition on the streets.

#BlackDayForIndianDemocracy

Chronology, psychology and psychology of ousting Rahul Gandhi from Parliament #BlackDayForIndianDemocracy

Rajasthan Youth marched in hordes

Several Opposition parties – despite their differences with the Congress – including Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress and Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party, reacted sharply to the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as a Member of the Parliament following his conviction and two-year jail sentence in a defamation case.

Despite the attack on Congress protestors in Kerala, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan termed Mr Gandhi’s disqualification as a “violent attack on democracy”. Mr Vijayan said the “hasty” disqualification of Mr Gandhi was the “latest chapter” of the BJP assault on democracy.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Opposition leaders have become the prime target of the BJP in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “new India”.

“In PM Modi’s New India, Opposition leaders have become the prime target of BJP! While BJP leaders with criminal antecedents are inducted into the cabinet, Opposition leaders are disqualified for their speeches. Today, we have witnessed a new low for our constitutional democracy,” said Ms Banerjee.

Arvind Kejriwal who never speaks up for Congress reacted sharply over the court’s order on Rahul Gandhi and Lok Sabha’s swift move after it. “They want to create such an environment that there is only one party and only one leader left in the country. They want all the other leaders and parties to be finished. This is called dictatorship,” he said.

“But today’s government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is more dangerous than the British rule. This is not just a Congress fight. This is a fight to save the country,” said the Delhi Chief Minister.

AAP leader and a minister in Mr Kejriwal’s cabinet Saurabh Bhardwaj questioned if the Opposition’s voice is suppressed, “who will raise the people’s issues?”

“We have a lot of differences with the Congress. Whenever the Centre attacked us, Congress leaders even clapped. When the Lieutenant Governor attacked the Delhi Chief Minister, their leader Ajay Maken clapped. If the Centre suppresses Opposition’s voice in a democracy, then who will raise the people’s issues? The Opposition had been suppressed in the Parliament any times. But now, dozens of cases are filed over petty issues. If this has to continue, then let the Prime Minister and BJP alone contest all elections with no opposition. That is dictatorship,” said AAP leader and Delhi minister Saurabh Bhardwaj.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and the president of DMK MK Stalin said, “To disqualify Rahul Gandhi as an MP, before he could go for an appeal is nothing but snatching away the right of an elected Member of Parliament.”

“Only a trial court has given its verdict as of now. An appeal at the High Court is still on the cards. It is the Supreme Court that should pronounce the final verdict. It seems like the BJP was just waiting for this opportunity going by their act of disqualifying Rahul Gandhi within a day of the District Court’s verdict,” he added.

Uddhav Thackeray, who heads the Shiv Sena (UBT) party, on Friday dubbed Mr Gandhi’s disqualification as “murder” of democracy and said this is the beginning of the end of “dictatorship”.

“This is the murder of democracy. All agencies are under pressure. This is the beginning of the end of the dictatorship…the battle only needs a direction (now),” Mr Thackeray said.

Lalu Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Manoj Jha called the disqualification “shameful and unfortunate”. “Nothing can be a bigger blot in the history of parliamentary democracy,” the MP said.

CPI leader Binoy Viswam asked where India was going as a democracy. “Where is our democracy heading to? For a speech made in Kolar, case in Surat, that too after how many years? Anybody of their dislike can be booked for whatever reason they decide! Today it is Rahul Gandhi, tomorrow it can be you or me. Time to unite in defence of democracy,” he said.

Danish Ali, an MP from Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party, claimed, “If MPs were to lose their membership on such matters of defamation, then 70 per cent of parliamentarians will lose their membership, most of them being from the BJP.”

The Lok Sabha Secretariat disqualified Rahul Gandhi as MP from Wayanad in Kerala a day after a court in Surat convicted him in a defamation case and sentenced him to two years in jail, while also providing bail for 30 days to appeal the decision. Mr Gandhi would not be able to contest elections for eight years unless a higher court stays his conviction and sentence.

“My religion is based on truth and non-violence. Truth is my God, non-violence the means to get it,” tweeted the Wayanad MP quoting Mahatma Gandhi, in his first comment after the verdict.

The Congress party came down heavily on the ruling BJP and its president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “They don’t want to keep those who are speaking the truth but we will continue to speak the truth.”

“If needed we’ll go to jail to save democracy,” he added.

Yogendra Yadav spoke in a video: Chronology, psychology and psychology of ousting Rahul Gandhi from Parliament #BlackDayForIndianDemocracy” Listen to him

Shashi Tharoor said: I’m stunned by this action and by its rapidity, within 24 hours of the court verdict and while an appeal was known to be in process. This is politics with the gloves off and it bodes ill for our democracy.

Supriya Bhardwaj shared:  Sources say that a committee will be formed which will decide on future courses.  One big rally will be organised in Delhi From block level protest to AICC nationwide protest Political action plan is being charted out, and other opposition parties will also be approached Legal team to take action. One big rally will be organised in Delhi From block level protest to AICC nationwide protest Political action plan is being charted out, other opposition parties will also be approached Legal team to take action

While the legal process will go on, the real battle is political and the bitterness caused by this incident is bound to set the narrative for the 2024 election.  Will it all work in favour of Congress in the end?  As Rahul Gandhi’s popularity is rising even more evident during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, is this a draconian attempt to clamp him down just before the elections?

 

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