Reactions to India’s Rahul Gandhi losing parliament seat

India’s parliament has disqualified prominent member of the opposition Congress party, Rahul Gandhi, following his conviction in a defamation case linked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surname.

Gandhi, 52, “stands disqualified from the membership” of the parliament, a notice issued by the house said on Friday.

Gandhi on Thursday was found guilty for a 2019 speech in which he referred to thieves as having the surname Modi.

He made the comment while campaigning ahead of the last general election, which Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won with a landslide.

It is one of the highest profile disqualifications of a sitting legislator in the South Asian country.

Here are some of the reactions to Gandhi losing MP status:

Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP

Member of parliament and renowned author Shashi Tharoor said he was “stunned” by the decision despite an appeal against the verdict

“This is politics with the gloves off and it bodes ill for our democracy,” he tweeted.