Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha from the date of his conviction in a criminal defamation case. The conviction pertains to his “Modi surname” remark, for which he was sentenced to two years of imprisonment. However, the court granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court. The notice of disqualification was issued by the national parliament, which stated that Gandhi stands disqualified as a member of Lok Sabha from the date of his conviction.
The criminal defamation case was filed by BJP MLA Purnesh Modi, who alleged that Rahul Gandhi had made a derogatory remark about people with the surname Modi, stating that “How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?” This remark led to his conviction, and the Congress has described the judgment as politically motivated, blaming the government and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Despite his disqualification, Rahul Gandhi briefly attended the Lok Sabha session on Friday, although the House was adjourned for an hour soon after it convened for the day. This disqualification has significant implications for the Congress party, as Rahul Gandhi is one of its most prominent leaders. However, the party has not yet commented on the issue.
Overall, the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi is a major development in Indian politics, and it remains to be seen what impact it will have on the upcoming elections. The BJP will undoubtedly use this to their advantage, while the Congress will try to downplay the issue and rally around their other leaders.
