Jaishankar's response to foreign diplomats regarding Rahul Gandhi's disqualification

Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said no foreign diplomat has raised with him the issue of opposition leader Rahul Gandhi's disqualification as member of lower house, which, he stressed, was an outcome of a law "supported" by the Congress leader in the past.

Speaking at the Rising India Summit of Network18, Jaishankar asserted that Rahul Gandhi's disqualification happened as he refused to express regret on the disparaging remarks he made against a community at a public meeting four years ago.

"The law is the law, unless somebody thinks that the law is not for them," Jaishankar said.

When asked whether the any of his diplomatic counterpart has raised the issue with him, the external affairs minister replied in negative.

Jaishankar was also asked how he would explain the issue to his counterparts abroad, to which he said, "Four years ago Rahul Gandhi was disparaging of a community in a public meeting. It is on public record. A member of that community took offense and began legal proceedings."

A local in Surat convicted Gandhi for a 2019 speech in which he asked, "Why do all thieves have Modi as their surname?" and then referred to three well-known and unrelated Modis in the speech: fugitive Indian diamond tycoon Nirav Modi, former IPL boss Lalit Modi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The court also sentenced Gandhi to two-year jail term but granted him bail and allowed him 30 days to appeal against the ruling.

"The legal process produced an outcome. The outcome triggered a law, which Rahul Gandhi had himself supported some years ago," Jaishankar said.

The minister said the law has been applied to 10-12 elected representatives, including of the ruling party.

Under Indian law, a criminal conviction and prison sentence of two years or more are grounds for expulsion from Parliament. The disqualification, as per the Representation of the Peoples Act, shall begin on the date of the conviction and continue for a period of six years after his release.

In Gandhi's case, unless the conviction is stayed by an appellate court, his disqualification will continue for a total of eight years – two years of imprisonment plus six post-release.