- Rahul Gandhi’s membership was reinstated days after the Supreme Court stayed his conviction in a criminal defamation case filed by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader.
- A notification from the Lok Sabha secretariat read that Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification as a Lok Sabha member stood revoked.
- Congress celebrates ‘victory of love against hate’ after Rahul Gandhi’s MP status was restored.
- Hitting out at the government, Kharge said, “Whatever time is left of their tenure, BJP and Modi government should utilize that by concentrating on actual governance.
- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also reacted to the announcement by calling it a ‘victory for democracy’.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha membership has been restored as the House secretariat issued a notification revoking his disqualification on Monday, 137 days after he was disqualified on March 24. Gandhi’s membership was reinstated days after the Supreme Court stayed his conviction in a criminal defamation case filed by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader.
On March 24, the secretariat issued an order disqualifying Gandhi. The new order on Monday withdrew the previous one. Gandhi is also now eligible for the return of his bungalow. The stay on Gandhi’s conviction made him eligible to return to the Lok Sabha as per the law.
Gandhi’s return to the Lok Sabha is crucial as the party wants him to participate in the no-confidence debate, which is expected to be initiated by Congress’s deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi.
Hours after the Supreme Court order, the Lok Sabha secretariat received a photocopy of the order, but as per the rules, it had to wait for an authenticated copy of the order. Lok Sabha officials argued that due to the weekend, no official work could be undertaken to expedite the process of Gandhi’s reinstatement.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge stressed that the revocation of the disqualification should happen early. “Gandhi was disqualified for speaking. Now he is qualified to speak!” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said.
Congress’ Lok Sabha floor leader Adhir Chowdhury met Speaker Om Birla on Saturday to urge him to expedite the process.
The Congress on Monday called it a ‘victory of love against hate’ after Rahul Gandhi was reinstated to Parliament after the Supreme Court’s relief in the Modi surname defamation case. Gandhi’s Wayanad MP status was restored and the Congress leader will be back in the Lok Sabha, amid continuous disruptions of the monsoon session over the Opposition alliance’s demand for a discussion on Manipur violence.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called it a ‘welcome step’ and suggested that the Modi government should focus on real governance in whatever time they have left in their tenure.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also reacted to the announcement by calling it a ‘victory for democracy’.
(with inputs from agencies)
