‘Price worth paying’: Salman Khurshid on Rahul’s disqualification resulting in Oppn unity
Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Tuesday said Opposition unity in the face of action against Rahul Gandhi provides a fertile ground to “build an edifice on”, and noted that his disqualification from Lok Sabha was a price worth paying if that means the beginning of a more sustained cooperation among anti-BJP parties.
Khurshid also said he was confident that Rahul Gandhi will be back in Parliament “very quickly” through the legal process.
In an interview with PTI, the former law minister said changes to the law on disqualification of legislators was “inevitable” as steps undertaken to clean up the political system have some unintended dimensions and Rahul Gandhi’s case seems to be one such instance.
To what extent should freedom of speech be allowed and be flexible for representatives of the people outside Parliament and outside legislatures is a question now that needs to be considered now, Khurshid said.
He also slammed the government over Rahul Gandhi being asked to vacate his official bungalow after being disqualified as Lok Sabha member, questioning the speed of the action.
He also said Gandhi’s disqualification has an emotional content which is very similar to the disqualification of former prime minister Indira Gandhi from Lok Sabha over four decades ago that will feed people’s reactions.
“But that does not relieve us from this onerous task to fight this battle day in and day out, till we are finally able to demolish the BJP and its government at the Centre,” said Khurshid, who is a member of the Congress’ steering committee.
The former Union minister, however, pointed out that while there were many similarities between Rahul Gandhi’s and his grandmother disqualifications, a lot has changed from then and now and there are ground realities that cannot be overlooked with many parties establishing themselves in various states.
Asked about Opposition unity on display following Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification with even parties that have maintained a distance from the Congress such as TMC, AAP and BRS coming out in support, Khurshid said, “It seems very promising and we have no issue about expressing our deeply felt gratitude for what they have done on this issue.”
