India's opposition Congress party suffered a blow today when parliament disqualified its leader Rahul Gandhi, a day after a court convicted him for a comment that many people deemed insulting to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
During a campaign speech before the last general election, Mr Gandhi remarked: "How come all thieves have the common surname Modi?", referring to the prime minister.
Yesterday, Mr Gandhi was convicted by a court and sentenced to prison for two years after he was found guilty of defamation in connection with the 2019 speech.
The court granted Mr Gandhi bail and suspended the sentence for a month.
However, under the Indian constitution, a politician convicted by a court is disqualified from parliament.
Mr Gandhi will also be required to vacate his official residence as a result of the ruling.
The court case was filed by Purnesh Modi, a member of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Some of Mr Gandhi's allies have said the court ruling was politically motivated.
"Rahul Gandhi will not stop asking difficult questions and exposing crony capitalism and this government's active role in promoting and protecting it", Congress party spokesperson Pawan Khera said.
He added that the party would battle on "both legally and politically".
Another party member, Pradip Bhattacharya, said the BJP saw Mr Gandhi as a threat.
"The BJP is fearful about the rise of Rahul Gandhi and he poses a direct threat to the Modi government", he said.
BJP president Jagat Prakash Nadda dismissed that accusation, saying Mr Gandhi had insulted individuals who happen to share the same surname as the prime minister.
"It is one thing to question government regarding the policies, that would be considered a healthy debate, but clearly the Congress has never followed such rules," he said.
Earlier today, there were protests against Mr Gandhi's conviction across the country.
The once-dominant Congress party controls less than 10% of the elected seats in parliament's lower house and has been beaten by the BJP in two successive general elections, most recently in 2019 under Mr Gandhi's leadership.
The next general election in India is due to be held by mid-2024.
