Gandhi was questioned by a journalist on BJP’s claim that he insulted OBCs.
NEW DELHI: A day after his disqualification as a Lok Sabha member due to the Surat court’s conviction in a defamation case, Rahul Gandhi, at a press conference, ridiculed a journalist for questioning him over the OBC insult issue.
The incident happened at the AICC headquarters in the national capital, where a press conference was organized by the Congress. Rahul Gandhi was questioned by a journalist regarding the Bharatiya Janata Party’s claims that he insulted OBCs.
After listening to the journalist’s question, Gandhi said: “Why are you directly working for the BJP? Try to do it with some discretion. If you want to work for the BJP, then put the BJP flag symbol on your chest. Then I will answer you the same way I answered them. Do not pretend to be a pressman,” the Congress leader added.
While mocking the journalist, Rahul Gandhi also said: “Kyun hawa nikal gayi.” After this incident, the Congress leader was criticized on social media. Various media persons shared their views regarding this incident and condemned Gandhi’s comment.
Rahul Gandhi on 23 March was found guilty of defamation for a 2019 campaign comment made about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname,” he had allegedly remarked in Karnataka’s Kolar, after which several complaints were lodged against him in various states.
After the Surat court’s judgement on this matter, Gandhi was disqualified from Lok Sabha membership under the provisions of Article 102 (1) (e) of the Constitution of India, read with Section 8 of the Representation of the People’s Act. Rahul Gandhi was a Member of Parliament from Kerala’s Wayanad constituency.
In 2019 general elections, Rahul Gandhi’s comment on ANI editor Smita Prakash invited ire from the media fraternity as well as BJP. At that time, Rahul Gandhi termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s television interview with Smita Prakash “staged” and said that it was conducted by a “pliable journalist.”