“We take note of the suspension of the initial verdict against Indian opposition politician Rahul Gandhi and his parliamentary mandate,” a spokesman for the German foreign ministry said.
Posted Date – Thursday, 30 March 23 at 11:30am
New Delhi: Germany said on Thursday it had taken note of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s parliamentary ruling on the suspension of the first instance.
“We note that the initial verdict against Indian opposition politician Rahul Gandhi and his parliamentary mandate have been suspended. As far as we know, Mr Gandhi can appeal the verdict,” a spokesman for the German foreign ministry said on German state-owned International Broadcasting Corporation. said at a press conference aired by the company Deutsche Welle (DW).
In a broadcast video tweeted by DW’s chief international editor in Berlin, Richard Warka, the spokesman added: “At that point, whether the verdict stands and whether there is any basis for suspending his term. , will become clear.” .
Germany “hopes that the standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles will apply in this case,” she said.
earlier this week U.S. State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel Said the United States was following Rahul Gandhi’s case in Indian courts.
“Respect for the rule of law and an independent judiciary are the cornerstones of any democracy and we are following the case of Mr. Rahul Gandhi in Indian courts,” he said in response to a question about Rahul at a news conference in Washnigton Patel. Gandhi’s disqualification from Congress is a sign of the United States’ engagement with the Indian government on a shared commitment to democratic values, including freedom of expression.
“The United States engages with the Indian government on our shared commitment to democratic values, including of course freedom of expression as we engage with our Indian partners,” Patel said.
On March 23, Rahul Gandhi was convicted by the Surat Magistrates Court for his “Modi surname” remarks at an election rally in Karnataka in 2019 and Sentenced to two years in prison in a 2019 defamation case.
The criminal defamation case against Rahul Gandhi was brought by BJP MLA of Surat West Purnesh Modi.
Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as a senator after being convicted by a court.
The two-year jail sentence has been suspended for 30 days until Rahul Gandhi has to appeal the conviction.
Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from the Lok Sabha sparked a massive political spat, with the Bharatiya Janata Party calling the Congress leader a “habitual loose cannon” and the Congress party claiming he was “deliberately disqualified”.
