"Rahul Gandhi's disqualification example of political conspiracy of government": Himachal CM Sukhu

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], March 26 (ANI): A day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha following conviction in a criminal defamation case, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday came down heavily on the BJP-led Centre, saying that the move against Wayanad MP is an example of a political conspiracy of the government.
"This is an example of a political conspiracy of the government. Rahul Gandhi hasn't been attacked it's the voice of democracy that's being attacked," Sukhu said while talking to ANI.
He further said that Rahul Gandhi's disqualification because the latter has emerged as the national leader who could give tough competition to BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
"After the court's verdict, within 24 hours Rahul Gandhi's membership was disqualified shows that the BJP is feeling threatened by his growing popularity, as he had got an overwhelming response to his pad yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir," Himachal CM said.
"The BJP hatched a political conspiracy to check Rahul Gandhi's growing popularity not realising that he had made a place in the hearts of the people of India and he has emerged as a national leader who can give them competition in 2024 polls," he added.
On Thursday, a Surat court sentenced Rahul Gandhi to two years imprisonment in a defamation case filed against him over his 'Modi surname' remark. In April 2019, he made the remark "how come all thieves have Modi as the common surname" at an election rally at Kolar in Karnataka. The court approved Gandhi's bail on a surety and stayed the sentence for 30 days to allow him to approach the higher courts.
Gandhi has been disqualified as MP from Wayanad.
The Congress party on Friday came down heavily at the Centre over the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as a Lok Sabha member, calling it a "strangulation of democracy" while exuding confidence that the disqualification will be revoked through a stay on his conviction by a higher court.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday launched a fresh attack on the BJP over Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Lok Sabha, saying the move was a ploy by the ruling party to evade questions on the Adani issue in Parliament.
"BJP wants to avoid this (Adani) question. The entire Parliament, barring the Opposition, is silent and the Prime Minister himself has turned mute. They (BJP) are levelling all kinds of charges on Rahul. However, the PM remains silent on whose money was invested in shell companies owned by Gautam Adani and why isn't it being investigated," Priyanka Gandhi said in tweets.
She highlighted three statements of Rahul Gandhi during his press conference.
Senior Congress leaders will participate in Sankalp Satyagraha at Raj Ghat on Sunday. (ANI)