Delhi, 7th August 2023: In a significant turn of events, the Lok Sabha Secretariat has officially restored the membership of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. This move comes on the heels of the Supreme Court’s stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case related to his remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The restoration of membership was confirmed through an official notification issued earlier today.
Rahul Gandhi, representing the Wayanad constituency of Kerala, had his Lok Sabha membership revoked subsequent to his conviction in a criminal defamation case centered around his comments about Prime Minister Modi.
The controversial statement made by Rahul Gandhi during a political rally in 2019, “Why all thieves share the Modi surname,” led to the initiation of a criminal defamation lawsuit against him by Purnesh Modi, an MLA from Gujarat. The accusation was that his remarks had tarnished the reputation of individuals sharing the ‘Modi’ surname. In March of this year, a local court in Surat convicted Rahul Gandhi and sentenced him to two years of imprisonment, which consequently led to the cancellation of his Lok Sabha membership.
Despite subsequent appeals, the Gujarat High Court declined to grant a stay on the conviction. In response, Rahul Gandhi escalated the matter to the Supreme Court. On August 4, the Supreme Court intervened, ordering a stay on the local court’s verdict and subsequently suspending Rahul Gandhi’s conviction.
This development marks a significant legal reprieve for Rahul Gandhi, as his membership restoration allows him to resume his active participation in Lok Sabha proceedings. The Supreme Court’s intervention to stay the conviction underscores the critical role of the judiciary in safeguarding democratic processes and ensuring that legal proceedings are conducted fairly.
