NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi’s conviction in a defamation case triggered a strong political reaction from several parties, including DMK and JMM besides CPI and even AAP, which rallied behind the former Congress chief and accused BJP of “hatching a conspiracy” to finish political rivals by prosecuting them. However, some parties like Trinamool Congress, BJD and JD(U) maintained silence on the issue.
Interestingly, AAP had found no support from Congress when former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia was arrested in connection with charges of political snooping in Feedback Unit case and alleged irregularities in the now scrapped excise policy.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal claimed that a “conspiracy” was being hatched against Opposition leaders. “We have differences with Congress but it is not right to implicate Rahul Gandhi like this in a defamation case. It is the job of the public and Opposition parties to ask questions. We respect the judiciary but are in disagreement with this decision,” Kejriwal said in tweet, in what was seen as a shift in AAP’sstance.
Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren said the two-year sentence given to Rahul Gandhi is a “matter of concern for democracy”, and alleged that non-BJP governments and leaders were being made “victims of conspiracies”.
DMK leader and Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin accused BJP of “trampling of democratic rights” and said he spoke to “brother” Rahul Gandhi to convey his support. “It’s highly deplorable & unprecedented that a leader like Thiru @RahulGandhi is convicted for a comment which he himself said was not made with a blameworthy mind,” Stalintweeted.
AAP’s support for Gandhi has come at a time when Kejriwal is learnt to be attempting to forge what he describes a “governance platform” of “likeminded” parties. Earlier this month, he had invitedCMs of eight non-BJP, non-Congress ruledstates over dinner.
Interestingly, AAP had found no support from Congress when former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia was arrested in connection with charges of political snooping in Feedback Unit case and alleged irregularities in the now scrapped excise policy.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal claimed that a “conspiracy” was being hatched against Opposition leaders. “We have differences with Congress but it is not right to implicate Rahul Gandhi like this in a defamation case. It is the job of the public and Opposition parties to ask questions. We respect the judiciary but are in disagreement with this decision,” Kejriwal said in tweet, in what was seen as a shift in AAP’sstance.
Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren said the two-year sentence given to Rahul Gandhi is a “matter of concern for democracy”, and alleged that non-BJP governments and leaders were being made “victims of conspiracies”.
DMK leader and Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin accused BJP of “trampling of democratic rights” and said he spoke to “brother” Rahul Gandhi to convey his support. “It’s highly deplorable & unprecedented that a leader like Thiru @RahulGandhi is convicted for a comment which he himself said was not made with a blameworthy mind,” Stalintweeted.
AAP’s support for Gandhi has come at a time when Kejriwal is learnt to be attempting to forge what he describes a “governance platform” of “likeminded” parties. Earlier this month, he had invitedCMs of eight non-BJP, non-Congress ruledstates over dinner.