After SC order, will Rahul Gandhi rejoin Parliament this session?
In a big relief, the Supreme Court on Friday stayed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's conviction in the criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remark. The decision has paved the way for the former MP to re-enter Parliament. However, the question is whether Gandhi will be able to rejoin Parliament during the ongoing Monsoon Session. Here's more to know.
Procedure for restoring Lok Sabha membership
According to NDTV, Gandhi will be required to submit a formal request to the Lok Sabha secretariat, stating that his conviction has been stayed and he should regain his position as the MP representing the Wayanad constituency. Moreover, he will also need to provide a copy of the Supreme Court's order. After reviewing the documents, the secretariat will proceed to issue a communiqué.
Procedure can be time-consuming
However, a recent example shows that the membership restoration procedure can be time-consuming in certain instances. In March, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Mohammad Faisal's membership was restored, over two months after the Kerala High Court stayed his conviction in an attempt-to-murder case. The Lok Sabha secretariat's notification came hours before the SC was scheduled to hear the Lakshadweep MP's petition on the delay.
Congress urges LS speaker to restore Gandhi's membership
Wasting no time, the Congress urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to restore Gandhi's membership, less than an hour after the SC's order. "The Supreme Court's relief to Gandhi is a victory of truth. We hope truth shall prevail," Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said. On the legal front, the Sessions Court in Surat will hear Gandhi's plea challenging his conviction on August 21.
Gandhi was sentenced to 2 years in jail
The SC's order will allow Gandhi to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Gandhi moved the SC after the Gujarat High Court upheld his conviction in the 2019 case. He was sentenced to two years in prison over his comment, "How come all the thieves have Modi surname?" The Congress accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of conspiring to remove Gandhi from Parliament.
