Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, August 7: Rahul Gandhi’s membership in the Lok Sabha was reinstated on Monday by the Secretariat after the Supreme Court on August 4 stayed his conviction in the “Modi” surname remark case.
The Congress leader who was removed from the lower house in March 2023 was reinstated as the Wayanad Member of Parliament.
“In continuation of Notification No. 21/4(3)/2023/TO(B), dated the 24th March, 2023, the Supreme Court of India has passed an order on 04.08.2023 in Special Leave to Appeal (Crl.) No. 8644/2023, staying the conviction of Rahul Gandhi, Member of Lok Sabha representing the Wayanad Parliamentary Constituency of Kerala, which was ordered by the judgment dated 23.03.2023 of the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Surat in C.C./ 18712/2019,” an official notification issued by Lok Sabha secretariat read.
“In view of order dated 04.08.2023 of the Supreme Court of India, the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi, notified vide Gazette Notification no. 21/4(3)/2023/TO(B) dated the 24th March, 2023 in terms of the provisions of Article 102(1)(e) of the Constitution of India read with Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, has ceased to operate subject to further judicial pronouncements,” it added.
Gandhi’s conviction in the criminal defamation case involving the remark about the “Modi surname” was stayed by the Supreme Court on Friday in an interim ruling.
On an appeal from the Congress leader disputing the Gujarat High Court judgment, the apex court sent notices to the Gujarat government and the complainant in July.
Rahul was sentenced to two years in prison by the Surat court for making the statement about the “Modi surname” in the criminal defamation case in which the Gujarat High Court had earlier declined to stay his conviction.
Gandhi lost his seat as a Member of Parliament for Kerala’s Wayanad on March 24 following his conviction in the case.
