Lok Sabha restores Rahul Gandhi's membership after Supreme Court stay

The Lok Sabha on Monday restored the membership of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The Lok Sabha Secretariat issued a notification announcing that his disqualification has been revoked and his membership restored.

Gandhi was disqualified as a Lok Sabha member on March 23 after a Gujarat court convicted him in a defamation case and sentenced him to two years in jail.

"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 dated23.03.2023 of the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Surat in C.C./ 18712/2019," an official notification issued by Lok Sabha secretariat read.

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"In view of the 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.

A punishment of two years and above automatically disqualifies a lawmaker. The Supreme Court on Friday last stayed his conviction, paving the way for the restoration of his Lok Sabha membership. He represents Wayanad in the upper house.

The apex court issued notices to the Gujarat government and the complainant in July on an appeal of the Congress leader challenging the Gujarat High Court order.

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The Gujarat High Court, had, in its order earlier, declined to stay his conviction in the criminal defamation case in which Rahul was sentenced to two years in jail by the Surat court over the 'Modi surname' remark.

After his conviction in the case, Gandhi was disqualified as a member of Parliament (MP) from Kerala's Wayanad on March 24.

(With agency inputs)