Union Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday criticised the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi for inviting foreign powers to interfere in India’s internal affairs and said, “Remember, the Indian judiciary cannot be influenced by foreign interference. India will not tolerate ‘foreign influence’.” Now that our prime minister is Narendra Modi.
“Thank you, Rahul Gandhi, for inviting foreign powers to interfere in India’s internal affairs. Remember, the Indian judiciary cannot be influenced by foreign interference. India will no longer tolerate ‘foreign influence, as our Prime Minister is @narendramodi” the minister tweeted.
Rijiju responded to Congress leader Digvijaya Singh’s tweet thanking the German Foreign Ministry and Richard Walker for taking note of how democracy in India is being compromised through harassment of Rahul Gandhi, who was recently disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha.
The German Foreign Ministry spokesperson recently commented on the Rahul Gandhi disqualification episode and said that “it is taking into account the judgement, the suspension from the appeal to parliament will show whether the judgement is supported and the basis for the suspension and judicial independence, and democratic expects to apply the standards of the principles.”
Recently, the All India Bar Association (AIBA) has said that the Lok Sabha Secretariat has committed an error in disqualifying Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from membership in the Lok Sabha without referring the matter to the President of India under Article 103 of the Constitution of India, and the opportunity to be heard was not provided to Rahul Gandhi.
The AIBA welcomes the decision of the Surat Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in the matter, as it underlines the constitutional right relating to the right to speech. The order against Rahul Gandhi only underlines the importance of freedom of speech, but with responsibility.
In a statement, senior advocate and AIBA chairman Adish C. Aggarwal said that the fundamental right to speech is not unfettered and that this right has been restrained by restrictions. Every common man in general, political parties, and public figures like Rahul Gandhi in particular should be aware of this. If the speeches are delivered keeping in mind the restrictions and responsibilities, it will save a lot of national resources.
AIBA, therefore, on this occasion urges all political leaders and public figures to deliver speeches with a sense of responsibility without offending the cherished feelings of anyone, said Aggarwala, who is former Vice Chairman of the Bar Council of India and Supreme Court Bar Association.
However, while the court has done its duty by following the Constitution and legal precedents, the Lok Sabha Secretariat should have followed the procedure specified under Article 103 of the Constitution instead of summarily issuing a disqualification notification within a day of the judgement, said the AIBA statement.