Deep betrayal of Gandhian philosophy: US Congressman Ro Khanna on Rahul Gandhi's expulsion from Lok Sabha

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's sudden expulsion from the Lok Sabha has been drawing criticism from across the world. US-based Indian-origin Congressman Ro Khanna on Friday said it is a "deep betrayal" of Gandhian philosophy. 

"The expulsion of Rahul Gandhi from parliament is a deep betrayal of Gandhian philosophy and India's deepest values," Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna said in a tweet. "This is not what my grandfather sacrificed years in jail for," Khanna said.  

Gandhi lost his MP status on Friday after a lower court in Surat convicted him in a defamation case. The court found Gandhi guilty of defamation for a 2019 campaign trail remark implying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a criminal. "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname", he had said during his speech in Kolar in Karnataka, after which several complaints were lodged against him in various states. The Surat court that convicted Gandhi also granted him bail for 30 days to let him appeal the decision. 

Khanna, who represents Silicon Valley in the US House of Representatives, has sought PM Narendra Modi's intervention in this issue. “You have the power to reverse this decision for the sake of Indian democracy,” Khanna said in another tweet. 

The disqualification will bar 52-year-old Gandhi, a four-time MP, from contesting polls for eight years unless a higher court stays his conviction and sentence. 

George Abraham, vice-chair of the Indian Overseas Congress, USA, termed Gandhi's disqualification as a sad day for democracy in India. 

“It is a sad day for democracy in India. By disqualifying Rahul Gandhi, Modi sarkar is ringing the death knell for the right to free speech and freedom of Indians everywhere,” Abraham said. 

He said that bringing an insignificant court case against a remark in the heat of a political campaign is shameful.