Rahul Gandhi believes he is above law: Smriti Irani on his disqualification from LS

Bengaluru: Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Smriti Irani on Monday called the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as Lok Sabha MP an ‘operation of the law,’ demonstrating that no person was above law in the country.

She also charged that Gandhi believed that he was above law after his disqualification from the Lok Sabha, following his conviction in a defamation case.

“It was made to appear as though it was the central government which disqualified Rahul Gandhi as an MP. It is a directive of the court,” Irani pointed out during a Yuva Samvada event organised by Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya.

The programme was organised as part of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha’s outreach programme for the first time voters ahead of the 2023 Assembly Elections in Karnataka.

Irani alleged that the person concerned’ made a racial slur not against one individual, but against the entire OBC community.

“A case in the court was fought on merits and evidence. If you read the judgement, it says the person concerned’ did not defend himself. Either someone in his organisation did not want to defend him or Rahul Gandhi thinks he is above the law,” the Union Minister said.

She noted that once the court ordered conviction, it is incumbent upon the speaker of the house to follow constitutional practice and accordingly, the Speaker took a decision.

“Should we as a democracy say that you can indulge in a racial slur against an entire community and not be held accountable by law just because you are Rahul Gandhi? People from his party have said on record that the law for the average Indian be separate and that law dealing with the Gandhi family be separate. The law spoke, hence let the law be followed.”

Referring to Gandhi’s recent remarks in London that he cannot speak in Indian Universities, she said, “Gandhi had been to universities in India, interacted with students, but no government stopped him from interacting. This means that he was lying in England.”

Speaking of the Nirbhaya fund, Irani alleged that it was set up during the Congress-led UPA rule, which remained unused for the first two years.

When Modi assumed office as Prime Minister in 2014, projects worth Rs 9,000 crore were planned for women’s safety across the country. For the first time in the history of India, an anti-human trafficking unit was set up in every district of our country, she added.