Washington, June 2 (IANS) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said here that his disqualification as a Lok Sabha MP was actually an advantage as the move allowed him to redefine himself without the BJP even realising it.

"My disqualification in many ways is an advantage because it has completely opened up new spaces for me, allows me to completely redefine myself. I think the BJP has given me a gift and frankly dont think they realise it," he said on Thursday at the National Press Club in Washington D.C.

"Politics is not linear, it completely goes off in one direction, its asymmetric. So I think that they have given me a gift its apparent right now... they have," the former MP added.

Rahul was disqualified as an MP in March following a defamation case against him.

"I am the first person in Indian history since 1947 to be given the highest punishment for defamation. My disqualification happened right after my speech on Adani in Parliament. This should explain what is going on in India," he alleged.

Rahul further said that he is not concerned about threats of assassination.

"I am not concerned about threats of assassination. Everybody has to die. That's what I learnt from my grandmother (Indira Gandhi) and father (Rajiv Gandhi) -- you don't back down because of something like that," the Congress leader said.

While speaking at the Stanford University on Wednesday, Rahul had said that he "never imagined" that he would get maximum punishment in a defamation case and would be disqualified as an MP, but asserted that it has given him a lot of opportunity to work.

The Congress leader who is on an ongoing six-day visit to the US is scheduled to meet several people in the coming days in Washington D.C. and New York.

He arrived in San Francisco on Tuesday.