Is Rahul Gandhi done?

It was yesterday that the Surat magistrate court pronounced a controversial verdict. Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi got charged. In one of those fiery political speeches, Rahul made a remark that was gauged off-color by the court. “Every Modi is a thief,” Rahul harangued years back.

While giving the verdict, the court also stayed a jail term for the congress leader. And now, the leaders of the party are ready to reach the doorsteps of the apex court to save the scion of the Gandhi family. If the court fails to favor congress, then Rahul will be deemed unqualified to participate in the election process in the country for the coming six long years. Albeit all the quagmire surrounding the verdict, the Lok Sabha secretariat today issued an order disqualifying the congress leader from his MP post duly following the court order.

The move had all the backing of the law, but some questions still lurk unanswered. The court itself gave a bail term to Gandhi and served a stay to avoid a two-year jail term. So, the member losing his MP post should have been the court to decide upon. The haste in which the Loksabha made this decision elicits no surprise though.

It was during the last Lok Sabha election campaign that Rahul Gandhi made this statement in Kolar in Karnataka. BJP MLA from Gujarat, Purnesh Modi filed a case and deemed it as a casteist remark demeaning the Modi tribe. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi actually intended to name fugitives Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi but the remark went off-kilter. The court while discerning the case, made strong remarks on the etiquette of Rahul Gandhi. The verdict announced that words from such a notable figure can impact the masses by large, such that a punitive step be pertinent according to section 499 ad 500 of IPC.

An array of opposition leaders have joined in condemning the court verdict and have directed all the blame to the central government. The haste with which the disqualification process was made has triggered even neutral minds in the country. Kerala CM came with remarks saying the country is slowly stepping into the abyss of authoritarianism. Even actors and film personalities have joined the bandwagon with statements in support of Rahul Gandhi. Nevertheless, all eyes are on the supreme court which will decide the future of Rahul Gandhi.

The congress looks to up the game by going volatile with protests against BJP. In Raipur, earlier today, BJP flexes were burnt and crude oil splashed in BJP offices by congress workers.