Rahul Gandhi Disqualified From Lok Sabha: Congress vows to fight back

Rahul Gandhi is disqualified from the Lower House; Cong vows to fight “legally and politically,” while the BJP calls the action “lawful.”
In a notification, the Lok Sabha Secretariat stated that it was effective as of March 23, the day of his conviction.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi was convicted of defamation for a remark he made on the campaign trail in 2019 that appeared to suggest Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a criminal.
He was granted bail, and his sentence was delayed for 30 days to allow him to appeal.
After a Surat court sentenced Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to two years in prison in a defamation case over his ‘Modi surname’ remarks made in 2019, Congress will hold a protest march.

Following his conviction in a defamation case by a Surat court on Friday, top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was notified by the Lok Sabha Secretariat that he was no longer eligible to serve as an MP. The party made it clear that this would not silence them or put an end to their fight.

The Wayanad MP was declared ineligible for office a few hours after he arrived at Lok Sabha at 11 a.m., which was adjourned as a result of protests from the opposition and the ruling BJP.

Under the terms of Article 102(I)(e) of the Constitution read with Section of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, Rahul Gandhi, Member of the Lok Sabha representing the Wayanad Parliamentary Constituency in Kerala, stands disqualified from the membership of the Lok Sabha as of the date of his conviction, according to the notification.

In response to Gandhi’s disqualification, Congress stated that it will fight the case “legally and politically.”

“We won’t be intimidated or kept quiet. Rahul Gandhi is no longer eligible to serve on the JPC investigating the PM-related Adani Mega Scam. Om Shanti, Indian Democracy,” In a tweet, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh stated.

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor expressed surprise at the swiftness with which the action against Gandhi was taken. Tharoor stated in a tweet that “this is politics without the gloves off and it bodes ill for our democracy.”

Union Minister of State for Law and Justice S P S Baghel defended Gandhi’s disqualification, calling it “lawful” and asserting that “everyone is treated equally by the law.”
He also mentioned that a BJP MLA in Uttar Pradesh was recently disqualified after being convicted in a criminal case.

Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification will now be suspended only if he is successful in having his conviction overturned by a higher court, is found to be innocent, or receives a reduced sentence.

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