Indian opposition lawmakers rally against Modi government

More than 100 Indian opposition lawmakers, including members of the Congress party, staged a protest march Thursday after the end of a parliamentary budget session that was marred by shouting and disruptions to proceedings amid a standoff with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
The demonstrators carried big national flags and chanted slogans warning that India’s democracy is in danger, and accused Modi’s administration of “misusing” government-run investigation agencies to intimidate opposition leaders.
They were blocked by police after walking a short distance from the Parliament building and forced to disperse. The opposition leaders from more than a dozen parties ended the protest with a news conference.
Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress party chief, criticized the disqualification of his party’s leader, Rahul Gandhi, as a member of Parliament less than 24 hours after his conviction by a court in a defamation case.
Gandhi is expected to lead the opposition’s challenge against Modi in the 2024 national elections. Gandhi challenged his conviction in an appeals court on Monday.