The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of seeking foreign intervention in India’s internal affairs after Germany’s reaction to his disqualification from parliament. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju and Anurag Thakur Tweeted alleging that Mr Gandhi invites foreign intervention in domestic affairs. The Congress has denied the allegation, stating that Mr Gandhi has only been discussing India’s state of affairs abroad and not asking for help. This controversy arose after Germany commented on “fundamental democratic principles” being applied in Mr Gandhi’s case. The US also said that it is watching the Rahul Gandhi case and engaging with the Indian government on a shared commitment to democratic values, including freedom of expression. Rahul Gandhi was disqualified last week as a Member of Lok Sabha from the date of his criminal defamation conviction in a case filed in 2019. He made the remark “how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname” during an election rally in Karnataka, leading to the criminal defamation case against him.
