Rahul Gandhi is a horsefly bite on the flank of the Modi's India

Rahul Gandhi may never have been so important as in the moment of his presumed political annihilation.

He was expelled from the lower house of India’s parliament 24 hours after his conviction for defamation on account of a remark implying Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a criminal.

Despite having led India’s main opposition Congress Party in 2019 to its second successive poor showing in national polls, Mr Gandhi may now become a touchstone for free expression in the world’s largest democracy.

Will he? Should he?

Let’s start with this comment in The Guardian by political researcher Asim Ali. Expressing puzzlement at the focus of Mr Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on Mr Gandhi, Mr Ali said: “I can’t work out what the strategy is because this may benefit Rahul and the Congress. They [Congress] will say it shows the BJP is insecure about Rahul and that it merely validates what he has been saying about how this government will not allow any criticism of Modi or itself.”

And here’s Delhi-b…