Kathua (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], March 26 (ANI): Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chief Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha is not good for democracy.

"I'm against this, be it Rahul Gandhi or Lalu Prasad Yadav. Until the last court announces the sentence it (disqualification) shouldn't happen. It isn't good for democracy," Azad said.

Before Rahul Gandhi, there was Lalu Prasad Yadav and other MPs and MLAs, in this way, the entire Parliament and Vidhan Sabha will be emptied out, he said.

On Friday, Gandhi was disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha, a day after a Surat court sentenced him to two years imprisonment in a defamation case filed against him over his 'Modi surname' remark.

In April 2019, he made the remark "how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname" at a Lok Sabha election rally at Kolar in Karnataka. The court approved Gandhi's bail on a surety and stayed the sentence for 30 days to allow him to approach the higher courts.

On Saturday, while addressing his first presser post disqualification as Lok Sabha MP, he said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Central government was scared of his questions on Adani and that democracy was under attack.

Stating that he was not scared of threats, disqualification and prison sentences, Rahul Gandhi said that he will not "back down" from asking questions on the Adani stocks issue.

"I am not interested in anything but the truth. I only speak the truth, it is my work and I will keep doing it even if I get disqualified or get arrested. This country has given me everything and that is why I do this. I will keep asking questions on Adani issue, they cannot scare me by disqualification or putting me in jail. I won't back down," he said.

The Congress party on Friday came down heavily at the Centre over the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as a Lok Sabha member, 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. (ANI)