Rahul Gandhi's Political Future: Rahul Gandhi, a leader of the Indian National Congress, has been dealt a major blow as his membership in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament, has been cancelled by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.
This action was taken following Rahul Gandhi's recent conviction and two-year sentence in a defamation case by a Surat court on Thursday i.e. March 24.
Rahul Gandhi was representing the constituency of Wayanad in the southern Indian state of Kerala as a Member of Parliament.
Since the Surat Court's verdict, Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha membership had been in jeopardy.
As per the Representation of the People Act, if Members of Parliament and Legislative Assembly have been sentenced to more than two years in any case, their membership stands cancelled.
Furthermore, they are also barred from contesting elections for a period of six years after completing their sentence.
Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha membership has expired, but there are still options available for him to retain his membership.
He can challenge the Surat Sessions Court's decision in the High Court, where a stay order can potentially save his membership.
In the event that the High Court does not grant a stay order, he can appeal to the Supreme Court. If a stay order is granted by the Supreme Court, his membership can still be salvaged.
However, if he fails to obtain relief from the Supreme Court, Rahul Gandhi will be disqualified from contesting any elections for a period of eight years.
During an election rally in Kolar, Karnataka on April 13, 2019, Rahul Gandhi made a statement, questioning the common surname of Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, and Narendra Modi, saying, "Why is the surname of all thieves Modi?"
BJP MLA and former minister Purnesh Modi filed a criminal defamation case against Rahul Gandhi under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code, in response to his statement made at an election rally in 2019.
The complaint alleged that Rahul defamed the entire Modi community by questioning, "Why is the surname of all thieves Modi?"
