After loud protests by opposition legislators over the expulsion from the house of prominent opposition figure Rahul Gandhi, India’s parliament was adjourned on Monday.
Gandhi lost his parliamentary seat on Friday, prompting criticism that the action raises worries about the emergence of authoritarianism in the largest democracy in the world.
Political rivals and human rights organisations have frequently charged Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist administration with manipulating the legal system to persecute and suppress critics.
As parliament convened on Monday, members of Gandhi’s opposition Congress party were dressed in black shirts and scarves. The speaker called the meeting to an end when some people threw paper at him.
Speaker Om Birla stated, “I want to lead the House with dignity. “House proceedings are suspended until 4 p.m.”
Gandhi’s expulsion came a day after he was found guilty of libel in Gujarat, the state of Modi, over a comment he made on the campaign trail in 2019 that was perceived as an insult to the prime minister.
Gandhi, 52, is the face of Congress, which used to dominate Indian politics but is now only a ghost of what it once was.
As the son, grandson, and great-grandson of former prime ministers, starting with independence leader Jawaharlal Nehru, he is a member of India’s most illustrious political dynasty.
Yet, he has been unable to stand up to Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its nationalist appeals to India’s majority Hindu population.
He was declared unable to serve as an MP by the lower house of parliament on Friday, one day after his defamation case conviction.
Gandhi asked why “all thieves have Modi as (their) common surname” during the 2019 election campaign, which led to the prosecution.
His words were taken as a jab at the prime minister, who went on to easily win the election.
