Metropolis Desk-
Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Congress, was today re-elected to the House of Representatives following a stay of execution in a criminal defamation case involving his remark about the “Modi surname.”
At a time when the house has had frequent disruptions over the Opposition bloc INDIA’s demand for a focused discussion on the violence in Manipur preceded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address on the matter, Mr. Gandhi will return to the Lok Sabha to represent his electorate Wayanad.
Following his reinstatement, Congress stated that it would like him to play a significant role in the discussion of the no-confidence resolution that is set to be discussed in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Rahul Gandhi has visited Manipur, according to Congress MP Manickam Tagore, thus the party wants him to take part in the debate over the no-confidence vote.
He stated that it was anticipated that he will disclose the Manipur-related facts before the Lok Sabha.
After being found guilty in a defamation case and given a two-year prison sentence by a Gujarat court on March 23, Rahul Gandhi was declared ineligible to serve in the Lok Sabha.
Any sentence of more than two years automatically disqualifies a lawmaker.
Congress tweeted the official notification from the Lok Sabha Secretariat, calling it a “Victory of love against hate”.
Shashi Tharoor, a senior Congressman, referred to it as “a victory for justice and our democracy.”
“Welcome the formal announcement of @RahulGandhi’s reinstatement with great relief. He can now get back to serving the people of India and his Wayanad constituencies in the Lok Sabha. He tweeted, “A win for justice and our democracy.
The top court had noted that the trial judge had given the case’s maximum punishment of two years, noting that a day less of a sentence would not have resulted in an MP’s disqualification. The justices stated that the consequences of being disqualified “affect not only the rights of the individual but also the electorate.”
After being sentenced to two years in prison in a defamation lawsuit for his remarks regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s last name, Mr. Gandhi was disqualified from running for office in May. In an attack on Prime Minister Modi, Mr. Gandhi had stated, “How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?” at a rally in Kolar, Karnataka, before the 2019 general election.
Gandhi, who has persistently refused to apologize, tweeted following the top court’s reprieve: “Come what may, my duty remains the same. safeguard the concept of India.
According to BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya, Mr. Gandhi is facing multiple further criminal defamation cases, including “the high-profile case of mudslinging the venerable Veer Savarkar,” which was brought by the independence fighter’s family.
Rahul Gandhi stated in an affidavit submitted to the top court that he has consistently maintained his innocence and that the conviction is “unsustainable.” Rahul Gandhi further stated that if he had to apologize and compound the offense, “he would have done it much earlier.”
In the Surat Sessions court, where the appeal is underway, Rahul Gandhi has contested the trial court’s ruling.
Source- NDTV
