New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday got back his official residence in the national capital, a day after his membership of the Lok Sabha was restored in the wake of the Supreme Court staying his conviction in a 2019 defamation case. The Wayanad MP had vacated his official 12, Tughlaq Lane bungalow in April and shifted to his mother and Lok Sabha MP Sonia Gandhi’s residence after he was disqualified from the Lower House of Parliament in March this year following his conviction in a ‘Modi remark’ defamation case.
“Mera ghar poora Hindustan hai (Whole India is my home),” Rahul Gandhi told reporters when asked about being allotted the official residence.
In April, Rahul vacated his official residence in central Delhi, in line with protocol, after he was disqualified as an MP. A disqualified lawmaker is not entitled to a government accommodation and gets a month’s time to vacate the official residence.
Earlier on Monday, he returned to Lok Sabha over four months after he was disqualified. Announcing the reinstatement of Gandhi as an MP, a Lok Sabha notification said in the wake of the SC order Friday, the disqualification has ceased to operate subject to further judicial pronouncements.
Soon after the Lok Sabha secretariat communication, Gandhi reached the Parliament and offered floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi’s statue before entering the House to attend proceedings around noon. But the House was adjourned within minutes.
Inside the Parliament premises, Gandhi was also seen spending time with his mother Sonia Gandhi.
With his Lok Sabha membership restored, the former Congress chief also changed his Twitter bio to ‘Member of Parliament’ from the earlier “Dis’Qualified MP” description.
Rahul Gandhi was disqualified on March 24
Gandhi was disqualified on March 24 after a metropolitan court in Surat in Gujarat convicted him in a defamation case and sentenced him to two years in jail. A punishment of two years and above automatically disqualifies a lawmaker.
Subsequently, he moved the Gujarat High Court, which dismissed his plea seeking a stay on the conviction on July 7.
He had then approached the Supreme Court on July 15, which stayed his conviction last week, paving the way for the restoration of his Lok Sabha membership. The stay will also enable the 53-year-old to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Rahul Gandhi to visit his constituency Wayanad
Rahul Gandhi is now scheduled to visit Wayanad in Kerala on August 12-13, his first trip to his constituency after being reinstated as a member of Parliament.
“On 12-13 August, Sh. Rahul Gandhi ji will be in his constituency Wayanad! The people of Wayanad are elated that democracy has won, their voice has returned to Parliament! Rahul ji is not just an MP but a member of their family!” Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said.
