New Delhi: While speaking to an audience at Stanford University on Wednesday, May 31, Rahul Gandhi said that his disqualification as an MP from the Lok Sabha while unexpected has given him a “huge opportunity”.“To be the first person to be given the first maximum sentence on defamation and maximum sentence to get disqualified. I didn’t imagine that something like this was possible,” he said according to the Economic Times.“But then I think it’s actually given me a huge opportunity, a much bigger opportunity [than] I would have [had] in Parliament. That is the way politics works,” he continued..@RahulGandhi speaking @Stanford @FSIStanford @StanfordCDDRL right now to a very big enthusiastic crowd. pic.twitter.com/OLU6lxFn5y— Michael McFaul (@McFaul) June 1, 2023The Congress party politician and former Wayanad MP was disqualified after he was convicted for criminal defamation by a sessions court in Surat, Gujarat. He had been accused of defaming the Modi community with his remarks at a 2019 election rally.He was given two years imprisonment – the maximum possible penalty for his offence – which is also the minimum threshold of punishment which merits disqualification from parliament.The offending statement for which Gandhi was convicted was: “I have a question. Why do all of them — all of these thieves — have Modi Modi Modi in their names? Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi. And if we search a bit more, many more such Modis will come out.”Also Read: Rahul Gandhi’s Disqualification Constitutes an Abuse of PowerHe is out on bail as he waits for the Gujarat High Court to deliver its verdict on a challenge to his conviction.Gandhi also addressed the issue of opposition parties around the world seeking international support for their cause.“I’m not seeking support from anyone or anybody. I am very clear that our fight is our fight,” he was quoted saying by news agency IANS.Gandhi arrived in San Francisco on Wednesday, May 30 for a six-day US visit. Hours before he spoke at Stanford, he addressed a gathering of the Indian diaspora in Santa Clara, California, where he said that Prime Minister Modi thinks he knows everything about the world.“I think if you sat Modiji down next to God, Modiji would start explaining to God how the universe works. And God would get confused that what have I created,” he said according to the Indian Express.BJP MP and youth affairs minister Anurag Thakur issued a rejoinder to Gandhi’s remarks, saying that Gandhi “wants to insult PM Modi but ends up insulting India, questioning India’s progress,” NDTV quoted him as saying.