Indus Valley Times

NEW DELHI,AUG 7: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s parliamentary membership has been restored, days after the Supreme Court put on hold his conviction in a 2019 defamation case over his ‘Modi surname’ remarks.

A notification from the Lok Sabha secretariat read that Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification as a Lok Sabha member stood revoked.

Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as a Lok Sabha MP on March 23 after a Gujarat court convicted him in a defamation case over his ‘Modi surname’ remarks and sentenced him to two years in jail.

A punishment for two years and above automatically disqualifies a lawmaker.

Best Colleges 203Celebrations broke out in the party headquarters and outside Congress stalwart Sonia Gandhi’s residence as soon as the news came in.

Celebrations outside 10 Janpath, the residence of Congress stalwart Sonia Gandhi, after party leader Rahul Gandhi’s MP status was restored. (Photo: India Today)

Celebrations outside 10 Janpath, the residence of Congress stalwart Sonia Gandhi, after party leader Rahul Gandhi’s MP status was restored. (Photo: India Today)

On August 4, the Supreme Court stayed Rahul Gandhi’s conviction in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his ‘Modi surname’ remarks.

The court further noted that the trial judge of a Surat court had not provided sufficient reasons for imposing the maximum sentence of two years.

Rahul Gandhi was serving as an MP from the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala from 2019 before being disqualified in March this year after his conviction.

The Congress leader had gone to the Supreme Court after the Gujarat High Court dismissed his petition last month seeking to put his conviction on hold while the session court heard his appeal to cancel the conviction altogether.

WHAT WAS THE DEFAMATION CASE?

Former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi filed a criminal defamation case in 2019 against Rahul Gandhi over his “How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?” remark made during an election rally in Kolar in Karnataka on April 13, 2019.

A Surat court had, on March 23 this year, convicted Rahul Gandhi and sentenced him to two years in prison in the case. The next day, he was disqualified as a member of Lok Sabha.

The Congress leader then challenged that order in a sessions court along with a request to pause his conviction. While the sessions court granted him bail on April 20, and agreed to hear his challenge, it refused to stay the conviction.

Rahul Gandhi had filed a plea in the Supreme Court on July 15, contesting the Gujarat High Court’s order upholding the session court’s refusal to suspend his conviction.

-PTI