The Congress on Friday welcomed the statements of opposition leaders condemning Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from Lok Sabha and mentioned it was now time for the celebration to tackle the job of constructing the opposition unity in a “systematic way”. The grand previous celebration additionally mentioned it has been coordinating with varied opposition events in Parliament and now the coordination needs to be exterior the 2 Houses as nicely. (Also Read | Shashi Tharoor finds irony in Rahul Gandhi saga: ‘BJP govt decided to reveal…’)

Leaders of virtually all opposition events on Friday rallied round Rahul Gandhi, after he was disqualified from Lok Sabha following his conviction by a Gujarat courtroom in a defamation case, and accused the BJP of doing “vindictive politics”.

The Congress mentioned it’s going to combat the battle legally and politically for its former president. It bought the assist of events such because the TMC, AAP, Samajwadi Party, and BRS, which had earlier mentioned they might keep equal distance from each the BJP and the Congress.

Addressing a press convention at AICC headquarters, Congress common secretary Jairam Ramesh mentioned the celebration welcomes the statements by opposition leaders condemning the motion in opposition to Gandhi.

It was famous right this moment that many opposition events have condemned the motion taken by the federal government unilaterally with such lightning pace to disqualify Rahul Gandhi, he mentioned.

“Yes, there was a consensus that we should now take the job of building opposition unity in a systematic way. Everyday Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has been meeting floor leaders of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. So we are coordinating in Parliament and now coordination has to be outside Parliament,” he mentioned after a gathering of high brass of the celebration, together with celebration chief Kharge and former AICC chief Sonia Gandhi.

“It is also heartening to note that parties which were not part of this floor coordination in Parliament have now issued public statements condemning this action of disqualification of Rahul Gandhi,” Ramesh mentioned, including that the Congress welcomes the assertion of assist of all opposition leaders.

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State models and frontal organisations of the Congress will launch totally different programmes throughout the nation and they’re going to start from Monday with a national agitation, he mentioned.

“We will go all over the country saying that Rahul Gandhi has been deliberately disqualified, as he has been raising his voice against the Modi government on various issue including demonetisation, GST, foreign policy, and the government’s intentions and policies,” Ramesh mentioned.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, whose celebration TMC, has been at odds with the Congress over remarks made by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and has been absent in opposition marches held over the previous few weeks, reacted strongly in opposition to Gandhi’s disqualification.

“In PM (Narendra) 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,” Banerjee tweeted.

“Today, we have witnessed a new low for our constitutional democracy,” she added.

Support for Gandhi got here from events which have stood by the Congress by the previous few weeks because the celebration led the opposition on the Adani difficulty. Voices of anger, shock and disbelief got here from events such because the RJD, JMM, CPI, CPI-M, Shiv Sena, DMK, and NCP, amongst others.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal described Gandhi’s disqualification as stunning and known as on the general public to rise in opposition to the BJP’s “arrogant” energy.

“The expulsion of Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha is shocking. The country is passing through very difficult times. They have kept the whole country scared. 130 crore people will have to unite against their arrogant power,” he mentioned in a tweet.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav known as for “fighting on the street” in opposition to the BJP.

“The person who has alleged defamation should actually accuse those of it who betrayed their country and fled abroad, causing harm to their name and fame,” he mentioned.

BRS nationwide president and Telangana Chief Minister Ok Chandrashekar Rao mentioned that the disqualification of Gandhi was a “black day” within the historical past of Indian democracy and exhibits the peak of Narendra Modi’s “arrogance and dictatorship”.