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STATE TIMES NEWS
New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday got a huge relief from the Supreme Court after it stayed his conviction in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his Modi surname remark and paved the way for his reinstatement as a Lok Sabha MP.
The stay which will also enable Gandhi, 53, to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections was given on the grounds the trial court in Surat in Gujarat failed to explain why he deserved the maximum two-year punishment upon his conviction that led to his disqualification from the Lower House of Parliament. The top court also noted that the sentence would not have attracted disqualification had it been a day lesser.
Observing that the utterances of Gandhi were not in good taste and a person in public life is expected to exercise caution while making public speeches, the court at the same time said his conviction and subsequent disqualification not only affected his right to continue in public life but also that of the electorate which elected him to represent their constituency.
Gandhi represented Wayanad in Kerala.
“Truth always triumphs, if not today then tomorrow or the day after. I thank people for their support,” the former Congress chief told a packed press conference at AICC headquarters, as celebrations erupted at the offices of the Congress party across the country. Several leaders of the 26-party opposition alliance INDIA also hailed the court verdict.
The Congress asserted that a delay in Gandhi’s re-instatement as MP on account of any “excuses” by the government would be “malafide”, “unfair” and completely contrary to the heart and soul of parliamentary democracy.
While Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury met Speaker Om Birla and urged him to restore Gandhi’s membership at the earliest, party president Mallikarjun Kharge said it is to be seen how long will it take to reinstate Gandhi, noting just 24 hours were taken to disqualify him after his conviction on March 23 –one of the highest profile disqualifications of a sitting lawmaker upon their convictions.
“We want that Rahul Gandhi should speak on the ‘no-confidence motion’ against the government in the Lok Sabha,” Chowdhury told reporters. The discussion on the motion will be taken up from August 8 to 10.
Congress spokesperson and Gandhi’s counsel Abhishek Singhvi said Gandhi’s voice for the cause of the people will soon be heard in Parliament.
