Rahul Gandhi Disqualified from Lok Sabha Following Criminal Defamation Conviction
24-03-2023
Rahul Gandhi has been disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha from the date of his conviction in the criminal defamation case on March 23.
He was convicted 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.
The complaint was filed by BJP MLA Purnesh Modi for his alleged remark, "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?"
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 held 52-year-old Gandhi guilty under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 and 500.
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.
The Wayanad MP attended Lok Sabha on Friday briefly as the House was adjourned for an hour soon after it convened for the day.