Aurangabad, Mar 24 (PTI) Senior Maharashtra Congress leader Ashok Chavan on Friday said by disqualifying party leader Rahul Gandhi as a Lok Sabha member, the BJP-led Central government has brought down the level of politics.

Also Read | Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi Says 'I Am Fighting for India's Voice, Ready To Pay Any Price'.

Taking to Twitter, Chavan alleged the Centre had taken such an action because it does not want people to raise their voices and speak against it.

Also Read | Rahul Gandhi's Disqualification From Lak Sabha: Act of a Scared Government, Says Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

Gandhi has been disqualified as a Lok Sabha member after a court in Gujarat's Surat convicted him in a 2019 defamation case and sentenced him to two years imprisonment.

The court has granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court.

“By disqualifying Rahul Gandhi as a member of Parliament, the central government has brought down the level of politics,” the former chief minister tweeted.

The whole situation is frustrating, he said, adding that he condemns the move that has strangled democracy.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council Ambadas Danve in a tweet said the action against Gandhi makes the Central government's policy and intentions towards the Opposition clear.

Despite enjoying majority in the Parliament, such an action against a legislator of the opposition party is the outcome of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)