After US, Germany chimes in with statement on Rahul Gandhi's disqualification
Rahul Gandhi
Days after the US commented on the disqualification of Indian parliamentarian Rahul Gandhi, Germany has also chimed in with a response. The German foreign ministry released a statement saying 'fundamental democratic principles' should apply in the case of the Congress leader's disqualification.
A spokesperson of the ministry said the Deutsch government had 'taken note' of the verdict by the Indian court and subsequent suspension of his 'parliamentary mandate'.
"We have taken note of the verdict of first instance against the Indian opposition politician Rahul Gandhi as well as the suspension of his parliamentary mandate. To our knowledge, Mr Gandhi is in a position to appeal the verdict, " said the spokesperson.
"It will then become clear whether this verdict will stand and whether the suspension of his mandate has any basis. We expect that the standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles will equally apply to the proceedings against Rahul Gandhi,” the ministry added.
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How fast can the Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet really fly?
)
Did China ask its people 'not to respond to aliens'? Origin of bizarre claim on social media
)
MS Dhoni-CSK Fallout? Report claims failed stake sale talks triggered rift
)
Scientists reveal the SAFEST COUNTRY when catastrophe strikes the planet
)
Serial killer on the loose in South Korea's Jeju Island? Fourth body found in three days as more than a dozen people go missing
)
2/3rd of glacier detached, collapsed: ISRO satellite images reveal what triggered Nepal floods
)
Trump once again claims without him there would be ‘no Israel right now’
)
Foreign espionage attacks against German companies surge to 37%, Bitkom report reveals
)
Blake Lively wins partial legal fee from Justin Baldoni after $8M request
)
Why is Pakistan deploying Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones near India border?
)
'OH MY GOD! We've found other agents!': Investigators discover not one or two, almost 700 OpenAI AI agents went rogue, hacked Hugging Face
)
Lunar eclipse 2026: India timings, places to see and more. August Blood moon factsheet
)
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on global outreach tour
)
Both pilots killed as training aircraft crashes in Lucknow – What we know
)
16-year-old charged with preparing terror attack on kindergarten in Norway
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How the S-400 protects itself from enemy attacks
)
Nepal floods: Over 165 dead, 400 missing; US, India, China, World Bank mobilise aid
)
India's multi-layered watch: The new surveillance war
)
5 doomsday planes spotted in US skies hours after CIA director's secret trip to Russia
)
9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to finally face trial in 2028, nearly 27 years after horrific attacks
)
Islamabad hospital fire: What we know about one of the biggest facility that housed Imran Khan
)
Workers run for life while filming Nepal flash flood: Scary new visuals emerge from Rasuwa
)
Russian military planes enter South Korean air defence zone amid rising tensions with North Korea: What's happening
)
Ron Weasley Is Back! Rupert Grint set to return to Harry Potter universe on Broadway
)
400-year-old 'vampire' grave in Poland reveals non-existent genetic lineage
)
Dolly Parton, global icon and queen of country music, dies at 80
)
Nepal flash floods: Kailash Mansarovar yatra affected, close to 400 pilgrims out of contact
)
'If he is dead, they're putting on a pretty good show': Trump casts fresh doubt over Mojtaba Khamenei's fate
)
Man arrested near US Capitol with guillotine in pickup truck: What happened?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI cockpit is painted bright turquoise green
WATCH |India's Rahul Gandhi disqualified from parliament
Notably, earlier this week, the US state department issued a statement saying Washington was 'watching' the matter whilst issuing a sermon on 'democratic values' to New Delhi.
"Respect for the rule of law and judicial independence is a cornerstone of any democracy. We are watching Mr Gandhi's case in Indian courts and we engage with the Government of India on our shared commitment to democratic values, including freedom of expression," said Vedant Patel, the US state department's main deputy spokesperson.
The statements by the US were not met kindly as the netizens thrashed the Biden administration for unnecessarily trying to interfere in India's internal politics.
What happened with Rahul Gandhi?
Last week, a city court in the western Indian state of Gujarat convicted the Indian National Congress (INC) leader in a criminal defamation case for his alleged 'Modi surname' remarks.
The court sentenced Gandhi to two years in jail while imposing a fine of Rs 15,000 ($183), under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 (defamation), 500 (punishment for defamation).
After an appeal, his sentence was suspended and bail granted to move an appeal against the conviction in under 30 days. However, the very next day, theIndian parliament disqualified the Indian MP from Wayanad - a district in the southern Indian state of Kerala.
(With inputs from agencies)
WATCH WION LIVE HERE: