No one went around crying seeking foreign power intervention, the minister said, asserting that Indians fought and restored democracy because democracy lives in the minds and souls of the Indian people.

"When Indian democracy was truly murdered in 1975 by the Congress Party, no one went around crying in foreign land to seek foreign power intervention. Indian people fought and restored democracy because democracy lives in the minds and souls of Indians," Rijiju said.

Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal, who quit the Congress last year, said,"we don't need endorsements from abroad" as "our fight is our own". He also asserted that "we don't need crutches to walk ahead".

Several BJP leaders on Thursday attacked Congress after senior party leader Digvijaya Singh thanked the German foreign ministry and Richard Walker, Chief International Editor of Deutsche Welle, for "taking note of how democracy is being compromised in India through the persecution of Rahul Gandhi".

Singh also tagged a tweet by Walker in which the senior journalist had posted a video of a German foreign ministry spokesperson reacting to Gandhi's disqualification.

At a press briefing, Germany's foreign ministry spokesperson said, "We have taken note of the verdict of first instance against Indian opposition politician Rahul Gandhi as well as the suspension of his parliamentary mandate."

"To our knowledge, Mr Gandhi is in a position to appeal the verdict. It will then become clear whether this verdict will stand and whether the suspension of his mandate has any basis," the spokesperson was quoted as saying by Deutsche Welle.

Germany expects that "standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles" will equally apply to the proceedings against Rahul Gandhi, the spokesperson added.?? ?

On Thursday, Rijiju had come down on Gandhi while sharing a screenshot of Singh's tweet. Rijiju had said, "Thank you Rahul Gandhi for inviting foreign powers for interference into India's internal matters."

"Remember, Indian Judiciary can't be influenced by foreign interference. India won't tolerate 'foreign influence' anymore because our Prime Minister is:- Shri Narendra Modi Ji," Rijiju said.