‘Well-planned conspiracy in Congress’: BJP on Rahul Gandhi losing Lok Sabha seat

Union minister Anurag Thakur alleged that there was a ‘well-planned conspiracy’ within Congress to ‘get rid of’ Rahul Gandhi.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday said Rahul Gandhi being disqualified as a Lok Sabha MP would set the Congress leader free from the role that he found ‘unfortunate’. Union minister Anurag Thakur asked the Congress leader to understand the ‘well-planned conspiracy' within Congress to ‘get rid of’ him by not challenging the Surat court's verdict on time despite having a battery of lawyers in the party.

Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Anurag Thakur during a press conference, at BJP headquarters in New Delhi(PTI)

“You (Rahul Gandhi) have to dig into the matter and find out who formed this well-planed conspiracy to get rid of you…There are a battery of lawyers as members of Congress, isn't there anyone left to give right advice?” Thakur asked at a press conference.

The Congress leader has been disqualified as a Lok Sabha member after a local court in Gujarat convicted him in a criminal defamation case. The Surat court gave him a two-year term for his ‘Modi surname’ remark ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

The Union minster further pointed out that Gandhi participated in only 21 Lok Sabha debates and failed to introduce any Private Members' Bill despite being a parliamentarian since 2009. He also recalled the incident where Rahul Gandhi tore off the ordinance passed by his own government that gave convicted lawmakers a three month reprieve to retain their seat.

Thakur said that the Congress leader is on bail in seven similar cases and added that he is a ‘habitual lose cannon’. “He thinks he can speak anything without ever facing the consequences,” Thakur added.

Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan called Gandhi a ‘habitual offender’ and alleged that the ‘chief family’ of Congress wants a separate IPC (Indian Penal Code) for them where they are not charged for any offence. Drawing the caste angle to Gandhi's ‘Modi surname’ remark, the Union minster said this comes as a result of the ‘sense of entitlement’ and ‘feudal mindset’.