‘Modi means corruption’, BJP leader’s tweet goes viral after Rahul Gandhi’s conviction, Lok Sabha disqualification

Following Rahul Gandhi’s suspension from the Lok Sabha due to his conviction in a 2019 defamation case, an old tweet by BJP leader and National Commission for Women member Khushbu Sundar has gone viral. In the tweet from 2018, Sundar criticised the prevalence of corruption among those with the Modi surname, suggesting that the word “Modi” should be redefined as “corruption”.

Several Congress social media accounts have shared the tweet and questioned whether Purnesh Modi, a Gujarat minister, will file a case against Sundar. However, Sundar has not commented on the tweet or deleted it.

Rahul Gandhi was sentenced to two years in jail for his Modi surname comment, which led to his disqualification from the Lok Sabha. The decision has triggered opposition parties, who have condemned it as political vendetta. The Congress has announced a nationwide agitation against Gandhi’s disqualification, while the party will challenge the Surat court order in a higher court.

Gandhi’s counsel did not ask for mercy in court, but defended that the comment was not intentional and did not hurt the complainant Purnesh Modi. A similar defamation case was brought against Gandhi in Patna by Sushil Modi, who claimed to have been hurt by the comment.

Regarding Gandhi’s suspension, Khushbu Sundar commented that “he had said a few days back that he is unfortunately a parliamentarian. His words have come true. Moral of the story: think positive. Negativity takes you nowhere”. She also noted the irony that Gandhi’s disqualification came from the same judgement that he tore into pieces when Manmohan Singh proposed an ordinance on it in 2013.

Indian-American lawmaker Ro Khanna said on March 24 Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification as a member of Parliament is a deep betrayal of the Gandhian philosophy and India’s deepest values.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in the national capital, Congress national spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi and senior leader Jairam Ramesh lashed out at the Centre over the disqualification of the former national party president.