Today, in his initial reaction to being disqualified as a member of parliament, Rahul Gandhi said that he is “ready to pay any cost”. The action was taken the day after he was found guilty of defamation for making a comment that was deemed to be offensive to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Congress leader tweeted, “I am fighting for the voice of India. I am ready to pay any cost”, through his official Twitter handle.

Rahul Gandhi was expelled from Parliament’s lower house on Friday after being sentenced to two years in prison in a defamation case in 2019.

The Lok Sabha Secretariat also declared his Wayanad constituency in Kerala vacant. The Election Commission can now call a special election for the position. Mr. Gandhi will be given one month to leave his government bungalow in Delhi.

In addition, the court granted him bail and suspended his sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal to a higher court. However, under the law, any MP convicted of a crime and sentenced to at least two years in prison is disqualified.

The decision has sparked a major uproar, with leaders of various opposition parties, including some who don’t get along well with the old-line party, expressing amazement and denouncing the “death of democracy”. Some described it as a despotic action.

Also read: Arvind Kejriwal Slams Prime Minister Narendra Modi Over Rahul Gandhi’s Disqualification