Never imagined this when I entered politics’: Rahul Gandhi on Lok Sabha disqualification

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that he had not “imagined” to be disqualified from the Lok Sabha after joining politics. Gandhi, who is in the US for a three-city tour, asserted that his disqualification as a Member of Parliament has given him a “huge opportunity” to serve the people. The Wayanad (Kerala) MP was disqualified from the Lok Sabha earlier this year after he was convicted by a Gujarat court in a criminal defamation case over his ‘Modi surname’ remark in 2019.

Answering a series of questions from Indian students at the Stanford University campus in California, Rahul Gandhi said that when he joined politics in 2000, he never thought he would end up in this position. The former Congress chief said what he is seeing going on now is what he had thought about joining politics.

Rahul Gandhi said, “But then I think it has actually given me a bigger opportunity. Probably a bigger opportunity than the one I have now. That’s how politics works.”

Relive the captivating moments as Mr. @Rahul Gandhi graced the stage at Stanford University for an unforgettable interactive session. pic.twitter.com/IbcaPQ3o8y– Congress (@INCIndia) June 1, 2023

Speaking about his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, which started from Kanyakumari on September 7 last year and passed through 12 states before ending in Jammu and Kashmir in January, Rahul said he started it because the entire The opposition is ‘struggling’ and they are struggling to fight the ‘democratic battle’ in the country.

During an interaction with Indian students and academics of Indian origin at Stanford University, he emphasized that he was not seeking support from anyone during his frequent foreign trips like this.

Gandhi asked the audience, “I don’t understand why the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) doesn’t come here and do this,” to which the moderator said the PM was welcome to come to Stanford any time and interact with the students. Is. Educationist.

India-China relations are going to be ‘difficult’

During his interaction, Rahul Gandhi also said that India cannot be pushed around by China as he underlined that relations between the two neighbors are going to be ‘tough’ and not easy.

“How do you see India-China relations developing in the next 5-10 years?” Gandhi was asked, to which he replied, “It is difficult now. I mean, they have occupied some of our territory. It is difficult. It is not very easy (relationship).”

He said, “India cannot be pushed around. Nothing like this is going to happen.”

India and China are also locked in a lingering border standoff in eastern Ladakh for three years. Bilateral ties came under severe strain in June 2020 following a deadly clash in eastern Ladakh’s Galwan Valley.