A follower shook a pink flower on his head, and Rahul Gandhi raised his open hand to his chest in gratitude. It was a good day for India’s leading opposition figure, as the pictures and clips from India show. After all the setbacks in recent months, Gandhi had reason to celebrate this Friday. The Supreme Court made a ruling that paved the way for the 53-year-old’s return to the political arena.

As a reminder: In March, things turned sour for politician Gandhi when he was sentenced to a maximum of two years in prison in a libel trial.

Back then, judges ruled on a lawsuit accusing the opposition leader of insulting Modi’s name in his 2019 campaign speeches. As a result, Gandhi lost his seat in Parliament and with it his role as one of the leading opposition politicians to challenge Modi in the 2024 elections.

The Supreme Court in India has now suspended this controversial ruling. The Supreme Court ruled that lower court judges had not sufficiently upheld the maximum sentence for Gandhi, and now the ruling must be reviewed. Until then, there was no legal impediment to Gandhi’s return to the Chamber of Deputies, the Lok Sabha.

The leader of the Congress party in the House of Commons, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, announced on Friday (4 August) that he would apply to have Gandhi’s exile from parliament lifted immediately. If there is no further resistance, Gandhi may be able to replace him as MP again on Monday.

The supreme court judge’s decision is crucial for India, as a permanent disqualification means Gandhi will also be barred from next year’s national elections.

The defamation sentence has sparked a heated debate across the country – about political freedom of speech in a democracy, and also about accusations that the opposition need not be tamed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose BJP party already dominates the political landscape, will hardly have a significant opponent in the elections if Gandhi is removed.

It is by no means certain how much political weight a descendant of the legendary Gandhi dynasty could actually develop to challenge the incumbent.

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) August 7, 2023

The opposition must unite against the BJP

Most analysts agree that the only way for the Indian opposition to stand a chance against Modi’s party machine is to unite against the prime minister’s camp. Three weeks ago, more than two dozen parties formed an alliance for this purpose.

But how strong that alliance will be and whether it can counter Modi’s immense popularity is an open question. At the very least, rising prices and rising unemployment made it easier for the opposition to attack the government on this front.

Congress party supporters cheered as the Supreme Court announced its decision. Rahul Gandhi wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “No matter what happens, my job remains the same: protect the idea of ​​India.”

In doing so, he brought himself into play ideologically as guardian of the nation. His Congress party had played a prominent role in Indian politics even before independence and then expanded it further after the departure of the British in 1947; politicians want to build on that.

Great-grandson of state founder Jawaharlal Nehru

Over the decades, the Nehru Gandhi clan (who shared names with Mahatma Gandhi but were unrelated) grew to become India’s dominant political dynasty: Rahul was the great-grandson of the state’s founder Jawaharlal Nehru, grandson of Indira Gandhi and son of Rajiv Gandhi.

Gandhi’s Congress Party has always pursued a secular policy, which is also in accordance with the spirit of the Indian constitution. And this Indian soul also wants to defend the party alliance against Modi and his religiously influenced party.

When Rahul Gandhi now speaks of the “Indian idea”, he is trying to revive the vision of a pluralistic community that existed in the minds of the founders – including his great-grandfather Nehru -.

The congressional politician has deliberately challenged the notion of state he has seen Prime Minister Modi and his Hindu nationalist movement embody.

Modi’s base relies heavily on a Hindu-centric religious-national identity, leaving religious minorities feeling increasingly alienated.

They complain that the government is promoting Hindu domination at the expense of others instead of protecting minorities.

Arne Perras

© Süddeutsche Zeitung 2023