Rahul Ghandi, leader of India’s largest opposition party, was suspended from parliament on Friday after being convicted of libel against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is evident from a court document. “How come all thieves have Modi in their surname,” Gandhi wondered in a speech in 2019. The Indian judge sentenced him to two years in prison on Thursday.
Gandhi was given 30 days to appeal, but it now appears that he has immediately lost his place in parliament. Indian MPs are shocked: “We will fight this battle both legally and politically,” writes Gandhi’s party colleague Jairam Ramesh Twitter. “We will not be silenced.”
The opposition leader is seen as a key rival to Modi in next year’s elections, which will also determine India’s next prime minister. From September through January, he walked across the country to garner support. If Gandhi does indeed get two years in prison, he will not be able to run in the elections.
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