Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Digvijaya Singh on Thursday expressed gratitude to the German Foreign Ministry for its observations on the ongoing row over Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification as a Lok Sabha MP. On Wednesday, a German Foreign Ministry spokesperson said during a press briefing that the ministry has “taken note” of the court verdict against Rahul Gandhi and his suspension from Parliament.
“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,” the spokesperson said.
Also Read: Expect judicial independence and democratic principles to be applied: Germany on Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification
Taking to Twitter today morning, Digvijaya thanked the German Foreign Ministry as well as the journalist who asked the question.
“Thank you Germany Foreign Affairs Ministry and Richard Walker for taking note of how the Democracy is being compromised in India through persecution of Rahul Gandhi
Notably, Congress
Digvijaya’s remarks on Thursday drew a similar reaction from the BJP. “Shameful that Congress continues to lean on foreign agencies and seek their intervention in India’s internal affairs. Rahul Gandhi had recently sought Europe and US intervention and now it is Digvijay Singh. But Law is the Law… Unless somebody thinks Law is not the Law for them,” tweeted BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya.
Also Read: US says it is watching Rahul Gandhi’s court case
“…The surprising thing is that the so-called defenders of democracy which are the United States, European countries seem to just be oblivious that a huge chunk of the democratic model has come undone which is the real problem. Frankly the Opposition is fighting that battle and it’s not just an Indian battle. It is actually a much more important battle… the battle for a huge part of the democratic people on this planet,” Rahul said during a discussion at the Chatham House think tank in London.
The BJP has also demanded an apology for stating in London that Indian democracy is under attack. “What’s happening, the institutional framework which is required for a democracy – Parliament, a free press, the Judiciary, just the idea of mobilisation, just the idea of moving around, these are all getting constrained. So we are facing an attack on the basic structure of Indian democracy in the Constitution,” Rahul said in his speech at Cambridge University’s Judge Business School on “Learning to Listen in the 21st Century” on February 28.