Congress leader Rahul Gandhi vacated his official bungalow on Saturday, nearly a month after he was disqualified as a Lok Sabha MP after a conviction in the 2019 Modi surname defamation case. News agency PTI reported that his belongings have already been shifted from his official residence to his mother Sonia Gandhi’s house at 10 Janpath. The agency reported citing sources that Gandhi will hand over the 12, Tughlaq Lane bungalow to the Lok Sabha secretariat today.
Previously, Rahul Gandhi was asked to vacate the government bungalow allotted to him by April 22 following his disqualification as Wayanad MP after a Surat court convicted him in the ‘Modi surname’ remark case.
As per PTI, the former Congress President had on April 14 shifted his office and some personal belongings from the bungalow to his mother Sonia Gandhi's official residence.
Gandhi moved out his remaining articles on Friday evening from the bungalow, PTI reported citing sources. A truck was seen moving out of the building with his belongings.
Rahul Gandhi has been living in the bungalow for nearly two decades. PTI Sources said that after shifting his office, he started living with his mother and Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence.
A Surat court on March 23 convicted Gandhi in a criminal defamation case sentencing him to two-year, leading to his disqualification. He had challenged the magisterial court order in the sessions court in Surat which rejected his appeal to set aside the conviction.
A day after his disqualification, the Lok Sabha Secretariat sent Gandhi a notice to vacate the premises by April 22.
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Modi Surname Remark Case: Congress To Approach Higher Courts To Stay Conviction
The Congress on Thursday said it will continue to avail all options still available under the law after a Gujarat court rejected Rahul Gandhi's application for a stay on his conviction in the 2019 criminal defamation case. Congress leader Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that the verdict is "unfortunate". "A wrong verdict has been affirmed, we will use our alternatives," he said addressing a presser, adding that the party will approach a higher court at the earliest.
The lawyer-politician called the Surat verdict verdict "suspicious". "We are confident that superior courts namely the high court and Supreme Court will set right the legal errors found with these two judgments. We are clear that the judgment is devoid of valid legal sustainable reasoning," Singhvi remarked.
The party said it will challenge the sessions court order in the Gujarat High Court next week.