Congress, BJP Lock Horns, Wayanad Seat Declared Vacant After Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha Disqualification — Top Points

As per law, if the conviction is not overturned or quantum of sentence is not reduced by any higher court, Rahul Gandhi will not be able to contest elections for the next eight years.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi

Source : PTI

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been disqualified from the Lok Sabha after his conviction in a four-year old defamation case.

His disqualification comes a day after a court in Surat sentenced the Congress leader to two years in jail in the defamation case filed against him over his "Modi surname" remarks. The court also granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court.

Here are the key developments:

• The Congress said it would not be "intimidated or silenced" by the move. "We will fight this battle both legally and politically. We will not be intimidated or silenced. Instead of a JPC into the PM-linked Adani MahaMegaScam, Rahul Gandhi stands disqualified. Indian Democracy Om Shanti," Congress communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh tweeted.
• "They (BJP) tried all ways to disqualify him. They don't want to keep those who are speaking the truth but we will continue to speak the truth. We will continue to demand JPC (probe into Adani issue). If needed, we'll go to jail to save democracy," Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said.
• Congress MP KC Venugopal called the development "a clear case of anti-democratic, dictatorship attitude" of the BJP government. 
• Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury called the move "politics of vendetta" being spearheaded by the Modi government against Rahul Gandhi. 
• Condemning the BJP's anti-democratic attitude, Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar said, “You can remove Rahul Gandhi from the seat of Parliament but it is impossible to remove him from the seat given in the heart of crores of Indians.”
• Taking to Twitter, Rahul Gandhi wrote, “I am fighting for the voice of India. I am ready to pay every price.”
• The BJP argued that a conspiracy inside the Congress may have played a part in its leaders' failure to file a petition in a higher court for relief.
• Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Anurag Thakur slammed the Congress for criticising the court decision convicting Gandhi, claiming that the Nehru-Gandhi family has a "feudal mindset" and a "sense of entitlement".
• The Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala was declared vacant after disqualification of Rahul Gandhi. As per law, if the conviction is not overturned or quantum of sentence is not reduced by any higher court, Rahul Gandhi will not be able to contest elections for the next eight years.
• Following his disqualification as an MP, Rahul Gandhi may also have to vacate his official bungalow in Lutyens' Delhi within a month, if he does not get relief from a higher court in the defamation case.
• As per legal experts, since it’s a criminal case, Rahul Gandhi cannot directly approach the high court or Supreme Court. He would first have to appeal in the Gujarat Sessions Court and then Gujarat High Court.
• Meanwhile, Congress workers staged protest in Delhi and Wayanad over the Lok Sabha disqualification of Rahul Gandhi.