Disqualification as MP an advantage to me, BJP not realising it: Rahul Gandhi

IANS

Washington, June 2

After breaking his silence on his disqualification as a Member of Parliament, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday asserted that it is an advantage to him as it allows him to redefine himself which the BJP is not realising.

"My disqualification in many ways is a advantage to me because it opens up completely new spaces for me, allows me to completely redefine myself. I think they have given me a gift frankly and they don't think they are realising it." "Politics is not linear, it completely goes off in one direction, its asymmetric. So I think that they have given me a gift, its apparent right now... they have," the former Lok Sabha MP added.

Gandhi was disqualified as an MP in March this year after a Surat court convicted him in the Modi surname case.

On Wednesday, Gandhi while speaking at the Stanford University had said that he had "never imagined" that he would get maximum punishment in a defamation case and would be disqualified as an MP, but asserted that it has given him a lot of opportunity to work.

Referring to his introduction as a former MP, the Congress leader had said, "I heard in the introduction that I was a member of Parliament until I was... (disqualified)."

"I don't think when I joined politics in 2004, I ever imagined what I see going on in our country. It was way outside the way I imagined. To be the first person to be given the first maximum sentence on defamation and maximum sentence to get disqualified. I didn't imagine that something like this was possible," the former Wayanad Lok Sabha MP said.

He also has to vacate his official residence following the disqualification as an MP on April 22.

He will not be eligible to contest elections for eight years till the time a higher court stays his conviction and sentence.

"But then I think it's actually given me a huge opportunity, a much bigger opportunity I would have in Parliament. That is the way politics works," Gandhi said.

The Congress leader is scheduled to meet several people during his visit to the US in coming days in Washington D.C. and New York.