In a recent speech, Rahul Gandhi, leader of the Indian National Congress, accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of disqualifying him from parliament because he was scared of his upcoming speech. Gandhi said he had seen fear in Modi’s eyes and that he was determined to fight for the truth and defend the democratic nature of India, even if it meant being jailed for life. He also used a Veer Savarkar reference to justify his refusal to apologize for his remarks in London and during a recent defamation trial in which he was convicted. The BJP accused Gandhi of seeking the intervention of international forces in India’s domestic affairs, but he denied the charges and said he had only asked the Speaker to let him respond to the allegations on the floor of the House. The Opposition camps have criticized Gandhi’s disqualification from parliament and the court’s decision to sentence him to two years in jail in a criminal defamation case prosecuted by a BJP member.
