Rahul Gandhi has been restored as a Member of Parliament after a new directive was issued by the Lok Sabha secretariat. This reverses the previous order that disqualified him from his parliamentary position following his conviction in the ‘Modi surname’ case.
The Supreme Court provided relief to Gandhi on Friday by staying his conviction in an interim decision. The initial notification of his disqualification came on March 24, a day after he was convicted in a criminal defamation case from 2019.
Gandhi’s restoration to Parliament comes just before the discussion of a no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government. He will also regain his official residence in Delhi, which was previously assigned to him as an MP. His former residence was at 12, Tughlaq Lane, where he had lived since 2005.
After vacating the premises on April 22, following his conviction and two-year sentence, Gandhi’s disqualification took effect. Disqualified MPs are allowed to keep their official residences for up to one month.
The Congress party expressed their support for Gandhi on Twitter, saying that the nation belongs to him and he belongs to the nation. They celebrated his restoration as a Parliament member as a victory of compassion over animosity.
This development comes amidst disruptions in the monsoon session of Parliament due to the Opposition alliance’s demand for a discussion on the Manipur violence.
