On Thursday, Digvijaya Singh, an Indian opposition leader, thanked Germany for “taking note” of Rahul Gandhi’s conviction in a 2019 defamation case by a Surat court, and his subsequent disqualification from the parliament.
Defamation Case
On 23 March, the district court gave Indian opposition politician and heir to India’s most prolific political dynasty Rahul Gandhi a two-year prison sentence in a defamation case concerning a statement in the run-up to the 2019 election, where he said that “all thieves have Modi as [their] common surname.”
Even though the verdict was suspended for 30 days, he was disqualified from the Lok Sabha (House of the People) or lower house of the Indian Parliament.
Germany’s Comments
Referring to the case, a German foreign ministry spokesperson said that Berlin expects India to comply with the “standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles” in the case. She added that the government has taken note of the conviction and disqualification, along with Gandhi’s “position to appeal the verdict.”
NEW: Rahul Gandhi case
— Richard Walker (@rbsw) March 29, 2023
German Foreign Ministry spokesperson comments for first time:
- Takes note of verdict, suspension from parliament
- Appeal will show whether verdict stands & suspension has basis
- Expects standards of judicial independence & democratic principles to apply pic.twitter.com/dNZB6vflG2
Subsequently, Singh, the Ex-General Secretary of the Indian National Congress (INC) party’s All India Congress Committee, expressed his gratitude to Berlin for recognising “how the democracy is being compromised in India” through the judicial and parliamentary actions taken against Gandhi, the former party president.
Reactions
Responding to the Germany’s comments, Indian ruling party lawmaker Kiren Rijiju blamed Gandhi for “inviting” foreign interference in Indian matters. In a sharp tweet, he said India’s judiciary is not influenced by foreign interference.
Additionally, ever since the 23 March ruling, several international leaders have commented on the matter.
Thank you Rahul Gandhi for inviting foreign powers for interference into India’s internal matters. Remember, Indian Judiciary can't be influenced by foreign interference. India won't tolerate 'foreign influence' anymore because our Prime Minister is:- Shri @narendramodi Ji 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/xHzGRzOYTz
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) March 30, 2023
Responding to a media query about Gandhi’s conviction, State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel noted that the US is “watching Mr Gandhi’s case in Indian courts.” He said Washington continues to emphasise the importance of democratic principles and human rights during its engagements with India.”
Similarly, last week, UN chief Antonio Guterres said that the world body was aware of the controversy and the INC’s decision to appeal.
Meanwhile, the INC launched the ‘Jai Bharat Satyagraha’ in Meghalaya on 29 March to protest Gandhi’s conviction and disqualification.