Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been re-allotted the 12, Tughlaq Lane bungalow a day after his disqualification as Lok Sabha member was restored following a directive of the Supreme Court, officials said. The House Committee of the Lok Sabha has decided to allot the same bungalow he was asked to vacate after Rahul was disqualified as member of the lower house on March 24 as a result of his conviction and a two-year jail term awarded to him for the 'Modi surname' remarks.
On Monday, the Lok Sabha Secretariat restored Rahul's membership of the lower house after the Supreme Court stayed his conviction in the defamation case.
In April, Rahul vacated his official residence, in line with protocol, after he was disqualified as an MP in March following a Surat court's conviction in the criminal defamation case. A disqualified MP is not entitled to a government accommodation and gets a month's time to vacate the official residence.
Announcing the reinstatement of Rahul as an MP, a Lok Sabha notification said in view of the SC order on Friday, the disqualification has ceased to operate subject to further judicial pronouncements. Describing the notification as a “welcome step” that brings relief to the people of India, especially Wayanad which Rahul represents in the House, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said, “Whatever time is left of their tenure, BJP and Modi government should utilise that by concentrating on actual governance rather than denigrating democracy by targeting opposition leaders.”
The Supreme Court on Friday (August 4) stayed Rahul’s conviction in a defamation case by a Gujarat court in which he has been sentenced to two years in prison. A three-judge Bench headed by Justice B R Gavai said that the trial court judge did not justify why Rahul should have been awarded the maximum sentence of two years which attracted his disqualification as an MP.
The disqualification is essentially nullified for now. A Surat Sessions court is currently hearing an appeal against the trial court judgment. Rahul’s disqualification will remain in abeyance until that appeal process is concluded.