Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha Membership Reinstated Following Supreme Court Intervention

Rahul Gandhi, a prominent figure in the Congress party, is set to regain his position as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the Lok Sabha, following the clearance by the Lok Sabha secretariat on Monday (August 7), as reported. Gandhi's membership in the Lok Sabha was previously revoked due to the outcome of the Modi surname remark case, a matter that saw a ruling from the Supreme Court. He represents the Wayanad constituency in Kerala.

The decision to reinstate Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha membership has emerged after the Supreme Court intervened on Friday (August 4) and temporarily halted his conviction. This legal development was prompted by Rahul Gandhi's appeal to the Supreme Court after the Gujarat High Court upheld a Surat court's ruling, which led to his sentencing of a 2-year prison term, subsequently causing his disqualification as a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha. This decision also paves the way for the Wayanad MP to potentially participate in the upcoming national elections scheduled for 2024.

The action to reinstate Rahul Gandhi's parliamentary membership was positively acknowledged by Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge as a "welcome step." He also shared a video on social media, depicting him presenting sweets to opposition leaders in celebration of the Lok Sabha Secretariat's decision to reverse Rahul Gandhi's disqualification as a Member of Parliament.

Meanwhile, previously, a duplicate of the Supreme Court's directive, which temporarily suspended the conviction of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by a Surat court in a criminal defamation lawsuit, was officially delivered to the Lok Sabha Secretariat. This action was confirmed by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, a prominent member of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha, on Saturday. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and other party leaders had reiterated their request for Rahul's prompt reinstatement, emphasizing the swift cancellation of his membership within a mere 26 hours and thus advocating for its speedy restoration as well.

However, Rahul Gandhi's reentry into the Lok Sabha as a Member of Parliament bodes positively for both the Congress party and the opposition. This development arrives shortly before the scheduled no-confidence motion, which is set to be presented in the Parliament on August 8 and 9. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to speak in the house on August 10, where he is anticipated to provide insights regarding the Manipur violence, a subject the opposition has been resolute about.

The controversy started when Rahul Gandhi lost his status as a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha on March 23, following a conviction by a Gujarat court in a defamation lawsuit related to his comments on the 'Modi surname.' As a result of this conviction, he was sentenced to a two-year imprisonment term.

An automatic consequence of receiving a punishment of two years or more is the disqualification of a legislator.

The central government sought to play down the restoration of Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha membership, with Parliamentary affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi saying that the decision was taken as per due legal procedure.

"Speaker made the decision today. We followed the legal process and immediately after receiving the Supreme Court's order, we restored it," Joshi told mediapersons outside the Parliament.

Responding to questions on Gandhi's Lok Sabha membership being restored, the minister denied any delay.

Joshi said that the Supreme Court order staying the Congress leader's conviction in a defamation case had come on August 4, which was a Friday, a weekend. However, Monday being a working day, the decision was immediately taken by the Speaker's office.