The alacrity with which Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been disqualified from Lok Sabha is likely to haunt the BJP for a long time to come.
Already being criticized for their alleged “misuse” of investigative agencies like CBI and ED for rounding up their political opponents, BJP seems to have just crossed the line.
Almost within hours of Rahul Gandhi being convicted for defamation Lok Sabha secretariate showed him the door.
Actually, Rahul Gandhi stood disqualified the minute after the court pronounced its judgement. The Lok Sabha notice was just a formality.
But the way the BJP government went over it almost gloating over the situation in which Rahul Gandhi had been placed, does not speak well about the BJP.
Despite the BJP trying to say that it was a court decision and they were only fulfilling the requisite Constitutional provisions while disqualifying Rahul Gandhi. The kind of swiftness and hurry shown by their actions completely belied what they said.
By their own actions they demonstrated that they took Rahul Gandhi as their chief opponent and they were extremely keen to keep him out.
The fact that despite the huge majority the BJP enjoys in the Lok Sabha and the kind of popularity its leader Narendra Modi has in the country and worldwide to act in this fashion does betray a lack of confidence.
Opposition parties charge that BJP government is scared of Rahul Gandhi seems to have some grain of truth looking at the amount of attention they give to what he says and does.
BJP should have allowed the law to take its own course without seeming to be pro-active in any fashion as to what happens to Rahul Gandhi particularly trying to nail him down.
They should have completely distanced from the events related to Rahul Gandhi.
However, BJP has got itself embroiled into this drama and is left explaining that it has nothing to do with it.
The damage seems to have been done with the opposition being able to point finger at Rahul Gandhi as another victim of the Modi regime, out to finish the Opposition.
This action has also led to the disparate voices of the opposition ganging together with Congress, blaming the BJP for crossing all limits.
Though Rahul Gandhi has the legal remedy of going to higher courts against the present conviction. But then the Congress party will surely take full advantage politically with Rahul going around as disqualified MP before going in for any kind of remedy.
Already Rahul Gandhi has turned tables by making this as another case of Modi trying to muzzle freedom of speech. Pertinent here is the fact that he was not allowed to speak in Parliament.
He is already playing the martyr stating that he is fighting for the voice of India, “ready to pay any cost”.
His constituency Wayanad being declared vacant will be filled once another election is declared.
The Opposition members have started chanting murder of democracy and dictatorial move.
While BJP may feel that Rahul Gandhi was no match for Modi electorally , Rahul was one of the most known faces amongst the Opposition leaders and had the potential to be that one person who (if the opposition got united) could hope to launch a challenge against Modi.
Even though there are other leaders like Mamata Bannerji and Kejriwal who had defeated Modi and could hope also to challenge Modi with united opposition backing it, but they may require more time to have the kind of all India appeal like Rahul Gandhi has being the leader of Congress with a all India presence.
The political fall out of the present crisis in which Rahul Gandhi has been put will only be seen in the days to come. However, the swords are drawn.
| Posted by Sameer Khan | 
