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Indian opposition protests after parliament bars leader
The Independent
|March 27, 2023
Congress party holds Gandhi-inspired sit-ins in New Delhi
Members and supporters of India's largest opposition party protested yesterday against their leader's disqualification from parliament in nationwide sit-ins inspired by Mahatma Gandhi.
Rahul Gandhi, a senior member of the Congress party, lost his seat in the lower house after a court in Gujarat sentenced him to two years in prison over a 2019 joke about prime minister Narendra Modi's surname.
Mr Gandhi, 52, is part of the Gandhi political dynasty and one of the most high-profile opposition figures in India. His disqualification comes as a major blow just a year before general elections in which Mr Modi will seek a third term.
Senior Congress party leaders led the protest in New Delhi after being denied permission by the police, who said the request to protest was rejected due to law and order and traffic reasons.
This story is from the March 27, 2023 edition of The Independent.
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