Rahul Gandhi no more an MP

New Delhi: Hours after Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi was convicted in a 2019 defamation case over his ‘Modi surname’ remark, the Congress Wayanad MP was disqualified from the Lok Sabha with effective from 23 March.

In a notification dated 24 March, Lok Sabha Secretariat said: “Consequent upon his conviction by the Court of Chief of Judicial Magistrate, Surat in C.C./18712/2019, Shri Rahul Gandhi, Member of Lok Sabha representing the Wayanad Parliamentary Constituency of Kerala stands disqualified from the membership of Lok Sabha from the date of his conviction i.e. 23 March, 2023 in terms of the provision of Article 102(1)(e) of the Constitution of India read with Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.”

On Thursday, a Surat court held Rahul Gandhi guilty and sentenced him to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case for his remarks over the ‘Modi surname’.

The same court granted the Congress scion bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court.

Must Read: Why Rahul Gandhi faces immediate disqualification?

Gandhi attended Lok Sabha on Friday briefly as Lok Sabha session was adjourned for an hour soon after it convened for the day.

What did Rahul Gandhi say?

In his address to a public rally in Kolar ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Gandhi allegedly said: “How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?”

The defamation case was filed against him by former chief minister of Gujarat Purnesh Modi who said that the remarks by the Congress leader allegedly defamed the Modi community.

Congress reacts to Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification

Earlier in the day, Congress MPs held a brief meeting at Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge’s office in the Parliament. They then marched to the Rashtrapati Bhavan (President’s house) with posters, reading, “democracy is in danger”.

Reacting to Gandhi’s disqualification from Lok Sabha, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said he was left “stunned” by the action.

“This is politics with the gloves off and it bodes ill for our democracy,” Tharoor tweeted.

I’m stunned by this action and by its rapidity, within 24 hours of the court verdict and while an appeal was known to be in process. This is politics with the gloves off and it bodes ill for our democracy. pic.twitter.com/IhUVHN3b1F

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) March 24, 2023

Congress MP Jairman Ramesh said his party will "fight this battle both legally and politically".

"We will not be intimidated or silenced," he added.

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, @RahulGandhi stands disqualified. Indian Democracy Om Shanti. pic.twitter.com/d8GmZjUqd5

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) March 24, 2023

'Good message across the country': BJP

Reacting to the order, BJP MP Vinod Sonkar said: "This is a Court order, everyone should accept it. The Court convicted him. The manner in which he insulted a community at the time of the elections... this has sent out a good message across the country."

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