Expect judicial independence and democratic principles to be applied: Germany on Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification

Days after a United States official said that the government is keeping a watch on the developments in the wake of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from the Lok Sabha, Germany has now reacted to the controversy and said it has “taken note” of the Surat court verdict and expects “standards of judicial independence and democratic principles to be applied”.

“We have taken note of the verdict of the first instance against the Indian opposition politician Rahul Gandhi as well as the suspension of his parliamentary mandate. To our knowledge, Rahul Gandhi is in a position to appeal the verdict. An appeal will show whether the verdict stands and whether suspension has a basis. We expect standards of judicial independence and democratic principles to be applied,” a German Foreign Ministry spokesperson said during a press briefing that was aired on German state-owned international broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW).

Following her statements, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh thanked the German Foreign Ministry for taking note of the matter. He wrote in a tweet, “Thank you Germany Foreign Affairs Ministry and Richard Walker @rbsw for taking note of how the Democracy is being compromised in India through persecution of @RahulGandhi. (sic)”

Before Germany, the United States also took a similar stand. US State Department’s Deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said during a press conference on Monday that respect for rule of law and judicial independence is the cornerstone of any democracy.

“Respect for the rule of law and judicial independence is a cornerstone of any democracy, and we’re watching Mr. Gandhi’s case in Indian courts, and we engage with the Government of India on our shared commitment to democratic values – including, of course, freedom of expression,” Patel said.

“In our engagements with our Indian partners, we continue to highlight the importance of democratic principles and the protection of human rights, including freedom of expression, as a key to strengthening both our democracies,” he added.

Rahul Gandhi convicted by Surat court

A Surat court on March 23 sentenced Rahul Gandhi to two years imprisonment in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his ‘Modi surname’ remarks. The case pertains to a speech made by Gandhi during an election speech in Kolar, Karnataka, where he allegedly made the comments, “How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?” The case was filed by BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi.

The court had held him guilty under IPC Sections 499 and 500 and had also granted him bail the same day. It also suspended his sentence for 30 days, allowing him to appeal in a higher court.

A day after his conviction, the Lok Sabha Secretariat, in a notification, disqualified him as a Member of Parliament, and declared the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala vacant. Rahul Gandhi is yet to appeal against his conviction in the sessions court.