Political Significance of Supreme Court Stay on Rahul Gandhi’s Conviction
Supreme Court’s stay on the conviction of Rahul Gandhi in ‘Modi-Thieves’ Defamation case is remarkable in the fascist context today. Following the lower court’s verdict, Rahul Gandhi was disqualified, and his membership of Lok Sabha was promptly terminated. The Stay Order has now revived Rahul’s status as a Member of Parliament.
Resolutely condemning the termination of his membership in Lok Sabha, in a press statement issued on March 24, 2023 entitled, “Move Against Rahul Gandhi is Symptomatic of Fascism”, CPI (ML) Red Star had characterised Rahul’s termination from parliament “an outright fascist act”, and condemned it as part of the “intimidation and silencing resorted by Modi regime against political opponents, and called upon “all anti-fascist democratic forces in the country to come forward resisting and defeating this heinous fascist move.”
Today, when High Courts in States like Gujarat, UP and Manipur are toeing the line of the Executive, and as many of the institutions of the State are working as per fascist diktat, the SC judgement according to which “there was no reason given by the Surat court for imposing the maximum sentence on Rahul Gandhi”, is to be welcomed by all those who are fighting against fascism.
P J James
General Secretary
CPI (ML) Red Star
4th August 2023
