Announcing month-long satyagraha events starting with the ‘Save democracy’ peace march on Tuesday 7pm in New Delhi, the Congress said 19 parties have extended support to the Congress and a detailed plan of protests has been chalked out. Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray Sena which expressed disapproval of Rahul Gandhi’s Savarkar remark is also among the parties supporting the Congress, general secretary Jairam Ramesh said. “Within 24 hours of the Surat court verdict in the defamation case, Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha. He addressed a press conference after being disqualified. Within 24 hours of the press conference, Rahul Gandhi gets a notice for vacating his official bungalow. Wonderful speed of the Lok Sabha secretariat. But they don’t know that Rahul Gandhi is not worried about his house,” KC Venugopal said. Read | ‘Thank you for your letter… I will abide…’: Rahul responds to bungalow eviction notice
“We are not worried about this. But the way they are doing everything, they only want to intimidate Rahul Gandhi. We are not going to be scared by all these tactics,” Venugopal said.
Rahul Gandhi at Monday’s meeting with opposition leaders said that the question is not about his disqualification, Jairam Ramesh said. “He himself said that it is not about saving Rahul Gandhi, but saving democracy and the Constitution,” Jairam Ramesh said. “Our question is what is the connection between Adani and Narendra Modi. The government does not want JPC,” Ramesh added. Read | ‘Can live with his mother or come to me…”: Cong chief on Rahul Gandhi bungalow row
“The government is giving clean chit to Nirav Modi. They did not conduct caste census for the last nine years but now they are making it an OBC issue. At yesterday’s meeting, 19 parties sid in one voice that democracy is in danger and we all need to work together,” Jairam Ramesh said.
‘Appeal against Surat court’
The Congress said the legal team is working on the appeal against the Surat court order which sentenced Rahul Gandhi to two years imprisonment in the defamation case. Rahul Gandhi has one month to appeal against the verdict. “We know where to appeal and when to appeal. But the other details are being worked out by the legal team,” Jairam Ramesh said.
‘We will sort out whatever issue is there between Congress and Shiv Sena’
As Jairam Ramesh said Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) is supporting the Congress in its fight to ‘save democracy’, KC Venugopal said whatever issues the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) have will be sorted out.
On ‘flaws of Rahul Gandhi’s legal team’
Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday said BJP leaders are spreading lies about Rahul Gandhi’s legal team that they had some flaws. “This is a total match fixing which is clear from the chronology of the events. To divert the attention from this fixed match, the BJP leaders are spreading lies that there is a deliberate delay on part of Rahul Gandhi’s legal team in making an appeal,” Jairam Ramesh said.