Rahul Gandhi’s conviction for defamation and disqualification from Parliament shows that no one is above the law

(Guru Prakash)

One of the core principles of the Indian Constitution is rule of law, which means that everyone must be treated equally in the eyes of law. Contrary to this principle, there was a deep sense of feudal entitlement in the ruling establishment decades after we won independence and became a republic. Officially, authority was derived from the mandate of the public and not a select few. However, doles in the form of civilian honours and Upper House nominations were offered to perpetuate the dominance of one family. The state of affairs has undergone a massive transformation in the last eight years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The conviction of Rahul Gandhi on March 23, followed by his disqualification from Parliament today, is an affirmation of the promise and foresight of the makers of our Constitution. You break the law, you face the music. After Rahul Gandhi made derogatory comments about a specific community, a case was filed against him in Surat. The fundamental trait of a leader is empathy towards his people and mockery of a community is neither warranted nor desirable from someone aspiring to be a national leader. The comments that were made about the first-ever tribal woman president of the country reflect a similar condescension, which has become an institutional character of the Congress party.

That aside, the statements by the Congress leadership following the Surat court’s verdict smack of an outlook that puts one family above the law. The Indian National Congress as an institution often claims a substantial stake in the historical legacy of the struggle for freedom. Freedom for whom, is the question that arises now. One family. This has become an oft-repeated script. They will protest if they are being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in a case that involves corruption. They will issue statements against the judicial process and raise questions about the integrity of the entire institution. They have even put a constitutional body like the Election Commission of India in a spot by issuing statements undermining the organisation. Rahul Gandhi has become a habitual offender — even after the court reprimand and the subsequent apology in the Rafale case, he simply refuses to learn from his mistakes. First it was “chowkidar” and now it is Modi.

Democracy is not an abstract idea — it is run by institutions. Institutions need autonomy and the right environment to operate efficiently and in a non-partisan manner. On the one hand, the leader of the Congress goes to a foreign land and complains about the democratic ethos in India and on the other, he is gradually becoming a flag bearer of institutional erosion of constitutional values. The recent campaign of the Congress-led Opposition in maligning agencies like the CBI and Enforcement Directorate is yet another example of this trend. The ED as an institution has done great service by attacking the financial architecture of terror organisations like Jaish-e-Mohammed and is also playing an instrumental role in the NPA crisis by recapitalising the banks that were defrauded by the likes of Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi. Similarly, the CBI is only pursuing cases against leaders from regional political parties, like the disproportionate assets case, the fodder scam case etc., that were initiated during the UPA era.

What Congress is doing is nothing but obstruction of justice. There is absolutely no need for fear if you have not done anything unlawful and are confident that you can deal with it. The constant vilification of institutions will not go down well in history. As political activists, we do claim to have our finger on the pulse of the public but the people of India are more intelligent than the collective political class can imagine. They are not just mute spectators but are active observers — they punished Congress in 2014 and 2019. By indulging in theatrics against the Constitution and its institutions, the party is preparing for another self-goal and a further dilution of the faith of the public.

(The writer is national spokesperson, BJP)