Rahul Gandhi Attends Lok Sabha, Congress MPs Meet, Day After Conviction In 'Modi Surname' Case By Surat Court

The Congress MP from Wayanad was seen attending a meeting of party MPs before the start of the House proceedings on Friday.

Image: Video Grab/Twitter

New Delhi: A day after his conviction by the Surat district court for making derogatory remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attended Lok Sabha proceedings on Friday. The Congress Wayanad MP was also seen attending a meeting of party MPs before the start of the House proceedings. Congress Parliamentary Party Chief Sonia Gandhi was also present during the meeting. The House was adjourned seconds after convening amid ruckus over various issues, and Rahul Gandhi left Parliament soon after that.

#WATCH | Delhi: Rahul Gandhi attends the meeting of Congress MPs at the Congress Parliamentary Office in Parliament.

Party chief and LoP in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge & UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi also present.

(Video Source: AICC) pic.twitter.com/oyxj3YwPno — ANI (@ANI) March 24, 2023

It may be recalled that a court in Gujarat sentenced Rahul Gandhi to two years in jail in the case, filed on a complaint by BJP MLA Purnesh Modi for his alleged remark, "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?"

The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate HH Varma, which held 52-year-old Gandhi guilty under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 and 500, also granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court.

What Options Does Rahul Gandhi Have After Conviction?

In view of his conviction in the case, the question being asked is what options Rahul Gandhi is left with now and whether he will face disqualification and lose his Lok Sabha membership. Social media is abuzz with questions if the Representation of People Act would be applicable to him or not. Legal experts say that Rahul Gandhi can escape immediate disqualification as a Member of Parliament if the appellate court suspends the conviction as well as the two-year jail term. 

Noted lawyer and former Union Minister Kapil Sibal has said that Congress MP stands automatically disqualified as a Member of Parliament after his conviction by a court in Gujarat’s Surat in a criminal defamation case for his derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rahul Gandhi, who currently represents the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala, now stands disqualified, as per the law, said former party leader Kapil Sibal. "If it (the court) only suspends the sentence that's not enough. There has to be a suspension or stay of conviction. He (Rahul Gandhi) can stay on as a member of parliament only if there is a stay on the conviction," Sibal told a private news channel. 

After Rahul Gandhi's conviction, his party also said that its legal team will pursue the option of going to a higher court. The Surat court has also granted him time to file an appeal against the same. Chief Judicial Magistrate HH Varma, in his order, said that Rahil Gandhi can appeal against his conviction and sentencing within 30 days – implying that his Lok Sabha membership will remain intact for now until the higher court decides on the matter.

Congress Plans Mass Agitation, To Meet President Murmu

Meanwhile, Congress has decided to take to the streets against Rahul Gandhi's conviction and meet the President of India with other parties. The main opposition party announced a mass agitation immediately after the conviction of Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case and said it will not just fight the case legally but also politically.

In the wake of the verdict, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge convened a meeting of senior party leaders and MPs at his residence where after an hour of deliberations they decided to stage a protest at Vijay Chowk on Friday.

AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the party will hold a meeting with other opposition leaders in the morning and would stage a protest march from Parliament House to Vijay Chowk. The opposition parties have also sought time from President Draupadi Murmu on Friday afternoon to raise the matter with her.

Ramesh said the meeting at Kharge's residence lasted around two hours and it was decided that the Party chief would hold a meeting with all Pradesh Congress chiefs and Congress Legislature Party leaders in the evening and plan agitations in states. "We will hold protests across Delhi and in other states on Monday on this issue," Ramesh said. The matter is just not a legal issue, but also a serious political issue linked with the future of democracy in the country, he said.

"This is another major example of the Modi government's politics of vendetta, threat and intimidation. We will fight it legally as well as politically. We will not bow down or be intimidated by such politics and will turn this into a major political issue," Ramesh said.

His Congress colleague KC Venugopal also said that the party has analyzed the situation. "The verdict was so unfortunate as far as Congress Party is concerned. We will do a solidarity march for Congress Party. From Day 1 onwards when Rahul Gandhi raised the issue of Adani, the Government of India side has been trying to stop him. They don’t want Rahul Gandhi to speak in Parliament. They are varying all options to stop his voice," said Venugopal.

The Congress general secretary said that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party will continue to speak on the Adani issue. "All opposition parties are getting suppressed. I am happy that parties are showing solidarity with Rahul Gandhi," said Venugopal.