India’s opposition parties protest in black to condemn Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification
Record ID:
1717401
India’s opposition parties protest in black to condemn Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification
- Title: India’s opposition parties protest in black to condemn Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification
- Date: 27th March 2023
- Summary: NEW DELHI, INDIA (MARCH 27, 2023) (ANI - No use India) VARIOUS OF INDIA'S OPPOSITION PARTY MEMBERS DRESSED IN BLACK CLOTHES WALKING WITH POSTERS AND RAISING SLOGANS CONGRESS PARTY PRESIDENT, MALLIKARJUN KHARGE AND OTHERS MARCHING WITH BANNER AND POSTERS CONGRESS MATRIARCH SONIA GANDHI, KHARGE AND OTHERS STANDING WITH POSTERS AND RAISING SLOGANS SONIA GANDHI WEARING MASK PROTESTERS SITTING AND RAISING SLOGANS SONIA GANDHI, KHARGE STANDING AS OTHERS RAISE SLOGANS POSTERS IN HANDS OF PROTESTERS/STATUE OF INDIA'S ICONIC FREEDOM MOVEMENT LEADER, MAHATMA GANDHI PROTESTERS SITTING WITH POSTERS AND RAISING SLOGANS (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) CONGRESS PARTY PRESIDENT, MALLIKARJUN KHARGE, SAYING: "The message we want to give out is to save democracy and the Constitution. They should govern under the rule of law and that is why when you (Bharatiya Janata Party) take the law into your hands, democracy will be destroyed in the country and no one will have freedom of speech. This is why we are staging this protest. Today (Gautam) Adani has become such a big personality so why is the government quiet? He has earned money through illegal means and this is why we want JPC (Joint Parliamentary Committee) (probe)." NEW DELHI, INDIA (MARCH 27, 2023) (ANI - No use India) VARIOUS OF YOUTH WING OF CONGRESS PARTY, INDIAN YOUTH CONGRESS PROTESTERS STANDING ON BARRICADES VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS RAISING SLOGANS AS THEY ARE CARRIED BY SECURITY PERSONNEL PROTESTERS BEING SENT IN BUS AS THEY RAISE SLOGANS PROTESTER RAISING SLOGANS AS HE IS CARRIED BY POLICE PERSONNEL MEDIAPERSONS GATHERED AROUND BUS PATNA, BIHAR, INDIA (MARCH 27, 2023) (ANI - No use India) PROTESTER FROM INDIA'S OPPOSITION PARTIES TYING BLACK BAND ON ARM VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS, SOME DRESSED IN BLACK CLOTHES AND SOME WITH BLACK BANDS RAISING SLOGANS (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) SECRETARY-ALL INDIA CONGRESS COMMITTEE, SHAKEEL AHMAD KHAN, SAYING: "We have come out to protest to keep the truth alive, for individual freedom, to save democracy and to protect the Constitution." BHUBANESWAR, ODISHA, INDIA (MARCH 27, 2023) (ANI - No use India) VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS FROM INDIA'S OPPOSITION PARTIES MARCHING WITH BANNERS AND FLAGS AND RAISING SLOGANS PROTESTERS STANDING WITH CONGRESS PARTY FLAGS, BANNER, AND RAISING SLOGANS (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) GENERAL SECRETARY, COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA (MARXIST), BISHNU MOHANTY, SAYING: "We are protesting against (Narendra) Modi who is attacking the Constitution of the country. The way in which the Modi government behaves with Rahul (Gandhi) and (Manish) Sisodia and attack opposition…we are raising this slogan against them, 'Remove Modi, save the country'." GANDHINAGAR, GUJARAT, INDIA (MARCH 27, 2023) (ANI - No use India) VARIOUS OF INDIA'S OPPOSITION PARTY PROTESTERS WITH POSTERS RAISING SLOGANS PROTESTERS SITTING WITH POSTERS
- Embargoed: 10th April 2023 11:58
- Keywords: BJP Congress protest India Narendra Modi NewDelhi Rahul Gandhi Sonia Gandhi bail black clothes conviction court defamation disqualified parliament protests
- Location: NEW DELHI/PATNA, BIHAR/ BHUBANESWAR, ODISHA/ GANDHINAGAR, GUJARAT, INDIA
- City: NEW DELHI/PATNA, BIHAR/ BHUBANESWAR, ODISHA/ GANDHINAGAR, GUJARAT, INDIA
- Country: India
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA002I3X4Z7Z
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Lawmakers belonging to India's main opposition Congress party wore black outfits, held placards that said "Save Democracy" and threw paper in parliament on Monday (March 27) in protest against the disqualification of their leader Rahul Gandhi from the chambers.
Gandhi, 52, lost his parliament seat on Friday (March 24), a day after a court in the western state of Gujarat convicted him and sentenced him to two years in jail for a defamatory comment he made during an election campaign rally in 2019.
Gandhi is out on bail and his lawyers are expected to challenge the verdict in a higher court this week.
In New Delhi, Congress Matriarch Sonia Gandhi and lawmakers from opposition parties gathered with posters and banners near statue of India's iconic freedom movement leader, Mahatma Gandhi in parliament premises to condemn Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.
"The message we want to give out is to save democracy and the Constitution. They should govern under the rule of law and that is why when you (Bharatiya Janata Party) take the law into your hands, democracy will be destroyed in the country and no one will have freedom of speech," Congress party president Mallikarjun Kharge, dressed in a black outfit and a black turban, told reporters outside parliament.
Both houses of the Indian parliament were also adjourned earlier in the day.
Protesters from youth wing of the Congress party climbed barricades to raise their voices but were detained by the police in the Indian capital.
In eastern parts of the country, including Patna and Bhubaneswar cities opposition party members marched on the streets with flags, posters and raised slogans to protect democracy and the constitution of the country.
Gandhi told reporters on Saturday (March 25) that he was disqualified from parliament for questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi about his relationship with Gautam Adani, founder of the Adani group business conglomerate.
Gandhi and other opposition leaders say the prime minister's longstanding ties with Gautam Adani helped the business group secure investments from state-run firms and win big ticket contracts such as the management of six airports.
Both the government and the Adani group have denied the accusations.
The Adani group is trying to rebuild investor confidence after U.S. short-seller Hindenburg Research accused it of stock manipulation and improper use of tax havens - charges the company has denied.
Hindenburg's January 24 report eroded more than $100 billion in the value of the company's shares.
Opposition lawmakers have been vocal about their demand for a joint parliamentary committee inquiry into Adani's finances, forcing the speaker to repeatedly adjourn proceedings of parliament. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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