New Delhi: A day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was convicted in a defamation case, Lok Sabha secretariat in a notification said that the Wayanad MP has been disqualified from the Lok Sabha with effect from March 23, 2023. Earlier in the day, the Opposition MPs held a brief meeting at Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge’s office in the Parliament and then marched towards the Rashtrapati Bhavan brandishing posters, saying, “Democracy is in Danger”. The security was beefed up in the Vijay Chowk area in view of the protest. The stir later dispersed with a few of the MPs being detained from Vijay Chowk while others leaving the spot.
Gandhi was convicted Thursday in a criminal defamation case for his “Modi surname” remarks and sentenced to two years of imprisonment. The court granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court. A complaint was filed by BJP MLA Purnesh Modi for his alleged remark, “How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?”
The Wayanad MP attended Lok Sabha on Friday briefly as the House was adjourned for an hour soon after it convened for the day.
The Congress has described the judgment as politically motivated and blamed the government and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The court of chief judicial magistrate HH Varma, which held 52-year-old Gandhi guilty under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 and 500, also granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court.
Gandhi can escape immediate disqualification as a member of parliament if the appellate court suspends the conviction as well as the two-year jail term.
