Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha Membership Restored Days After SC Stays Conviction In 'Modi Surname' Defamation Case

Rahul Gandhi Back As MP: The decision by the Lok Sabha secretariat comes just days after the Supreme Court stayed the order of conviction in the 'Modi Surname' defamation Case.

Rahul Gandhi Reinstated As Wayanad MP: Rahul Gandhi has been reinstated as the Lok Sabha Member of Parliament on Monday. The decision comes after the Supreme Court stayed the order of conviction in the 'Modi Surname' defamation Case on Friday. In a notification issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat on Monday, it stated: "Given the order dated 04.08.2023 of the Supreme Court of India, the disqualification of Shri Rahul Gandhi, notified vide Gazette Notification no. 21/4(3)/2023/TO(B) dated 24 March 2023 in terms of the provisions of Article 102(1)(e) of the Constitution of India read with Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, has ceased to operate subject to further judicial pronouncements."

On the restoration of Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha membership, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said: "Speaker took the decision today. We followed the legal process and immediately after receiving the Supreme Court's order, we restored it..."

 

On March 23, Rahul Gandhi faced disqualification as a member of the Lok Sabha. The action came after a court in Gujarat found him guilty in a defamation case related to his comments about the 'Modi surname.' Consequently, he was handed a two-year prison sentence leading to the expulsion of his Lok Sabha Membership under the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

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Earlier, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Saturday confirmed that he had dispatched all pertinent documentation concerning the revocation of Rahul Gandhi's disqualification to the office of the Speaker. Expressing urgency, he called for the prompt reinstatement of Gandhi's membership, citing the need for parity at which his disqualification had been enforced.

Highlighting the swift manner in which Rahul Gandhi's disqualification ensued, Chowdhury emphasized the need for Speaker Om Birla to uphold consistency in his decisions. 

The Congress leader expounded, "Rahul Gandhi's rightful membership in the Parliament, particularly the Lok Sabha, merits a reinstatement that mirrors the same promptness and alacrity with which he was initially disqualified."