Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Congress, has had his Lok Sabha membership reinstated after the House secretariat issued a notification on Monday rescinding his disqualification, which was imposed on him on March 24.
Days after the Supreme Court halted Gandhi’s conviction in a criminal defamation action brought by a Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, his membership was restored.
Gandhi was declared ineligible on March 24 by a directive from the secretariat. The earlier order was revoked by the new one on Monday. Gandhi is now also qualified to have his bungalow back.
Gandhi was qualified to return to the Lok Sabha in accordance with the law because of the stay on his conviction. But before being allowed back into the Lok Sabha, where he has been a member since 2004, he had to wait for a formal order from the secretariat.
Gandhi’s return to the Lok Sabha is essential since the party wants him to take part in the no-confidence discussion, which Gaurav Gogoi, the deputy leader of the Congress, is anticipated to start. Gandhi last spoke in the House on February 7 during the debate on the President’s speech.
The Lok Sabha secretariat received a photocopy of the Supreme Court order hours after the ruling, but was required to wait for an authenticated copy of the decree by law. Officials from the Lok Sabha said that no formal work could be done to hasten Gandhi’s reinstatement because of the weekend.
After the Supreme Court upheld his conviction on Friday, Congress began exerting pressure for the quick withdrawal of the previous Lok Sabha secretariat ruling that had banned him from the March 23 election.
The procedure entailed compiling information on the matter into a file that contained the Supreme Court order and a note outlining potential next measures. Before an officer sent the circular to revoke the March 24 order, the file was vetted by top officials.
Mallikarjun Kharge, president of the Congress, emphasized that the disqualification should be revoked as soon as possible. He said that after a Surat court found Gandhi guilty on March 23, the Lok Sabha secretariat disqualified him the following day. “It has to be seen as to how much time the Lok Sabha will take in reinstating Rahul Gandhi as a member,” he said.
Kharge insisted that there was no need for a delay, claiming that the Supreme Court is only a few kilometers from Parliament whereas the Gujarat court is “hundreds of kilometers away.”
Gandhi was not allowed to speak. He is now capable of speaking!” Jairam Ramesh, general secretary of the Congress, stated.
Adhir Chowdhury, the leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, met with Speaker Om Birla on Saturday and urged him to move the process along.
“The Supreme Court said that it is postponing Rahul Gandhi’s conviction. Why does that matter? It implies that he will have another chance to take part in parliamentary procedures. Rahul Gandhi should be reinstated as quickly as he was disqualified, Chowdhury said on Saturday.
