Mamata Banerjee: Rahul Gandhi's disqualification is a new low for democracy in PM Modi's 'New India'

Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of Bengal, joined the chorus of key opposition figures in the nation on Friday in denouncing the expulsion of Congressman Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha as a "new low for constitutional democracy."

After learning of the disqualification, Banerjee lamented that in PM Narendra Modi's "New India," opposition politicians had become "primary targets" for the BJP in a message from her official Twitter account. 

"In PM Modi's New India, Opposition leaders have become the prime target of BJP! While BJP leaders with criminal antecedents are inducted into the cabinet, Opposition leaders are disqualified for their speeches. Today, we have witnessed a new low for our constitutional democracy," she wrote. Abhishek Banerjee, the Trinamool Party's national general secretary, tweeted," 

Democratic India is an oxymoron now."  Days after the party declared it would remain "equidistant" from both the Congress and the BJP, the party was roundly condemned. In addition, Trinamool claimed that the BJP was attempting to elevate Rahul Gandhi to hero status in order to distract from "burning issues by obstructing Parliament proceedings over his recent remarks in the UK." Notably, the party skipped Friday's opposition demonstrations at Vijay Chowk in New Delhi.