Congress leaders huddle in Delhi, Priyanka stresses on winning Karnataka polls as reply to Rahul Gandhi's disqualification

Sources said that the party should try and win Karnataka assembly polls and this will be a reply to the BJP-led government over Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha.

The Congress leaders also decided to form a committee to take decisions on the further course of action over Rahul Gandhi's disqualification.

The meeting was chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at the party headquarters.

Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were also present at the meeting.

According to sources, an MP suggested that all MPs of the party should tender mass resignations. However, no final decision was taken in this regard.

"An MP said that all MPs of the party should tender a mass resignation. No final decision has been taken on this yet. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that a reply should be given to this (disqualification) through the party's victory in the Karnataka polls. A Committee will be formed to take further decisions on the next course of action," a source said.

The party had called an emergency meeting of Steering Committee, PCC chiefs, CLP leaders and chiefs of frontal organisations, departments and cells at the AICC Office "to discuss the latest political developments".

Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as MP from Lok Sabha on Friday following his conviction by Surat court in a criminal defamation case for his 'Modi surname' remark.

Earlier today, the Congress party came down heavily at the Centre over the move, calling it a "strangulation of democracy" while exuding confidence that the disqualification will be revoked through a stay on his conviction by a higher court.

The party alleged that Rahul's disqualification is part of a "pattern" to stop him from speaking out against the Central government and also an attempt to divert public attention from real issues.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in the national capital, Congress national spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi and senior leader Jairam Ramesh lashed out at the Centre over the disqualification of the former national party president.

"The issue before us is political, more than it is legal. It is a political issue because it signifies the systematic, repetitive emasculation of democratic institutions by the ruling party. It signifies the strangulation of democracy itself. We know that defamation is an exception to free speech, but over the last several years, we have had repeated examples of unthinkable assaults on freedom of speech, more importantly, freedom after speech. We all know that Rahul Gandhi has been speaking fearlessly inside and outside Parliament. He is paying a price for it," Singhvi said.

He said that the government is resorting to new methods to "throttle" Rahul Gandhi's voice.

"This government is rattled because he clearly speaks with facts and figures on demonetisation. Be it the supposed clean chit to China, or the GST, he is consistently aggressive and open in his questioning. Therefore, this government is finding new techniques of throttling his voice," Singhvi alleged. (ANI)