“Why hasn’t Thiru been restored as MP?” asks Stalin of Rahul’s return to Lok Sabha

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin spoke out on Sunday in support of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s return to Parliament, questioning why his membership in the Lok Sabha has yet to be restored despite the Supreme Court staying his conviction in the criminal defamation case over the use of the ‘Modi’ surname.

Rahul was convicted and sentenced to two years in jail for a comment he made using the surname ‘Modi’ during a rally in Kolar, Karnataka, in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

 

As a result of his conviction, he was expelled from the Lok Sabha.

However, his sentence was subsequently postponed, allowing him to appeal his conviction to a higher court.

 

 

 

However, when the Gujarat High Court upheld his conviction by the Surat Sessions Court, the Congress leader filed a petition with the Supreme Court.

 

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court postponed his conviction in the defamation case while cautioning him to be more cautious while making public remarks or declarations.

CM Stalin, in a veiled jab at Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, asked on Sunday why the same hurry with which he was deprived of his MP designation was not displayed in enabling his return to the Lower House.

 

Stalin posted on the social networking platform X, previously known as Twitter, “Why hasn’t Thiru @RahulGandhi been restored as an MP despite the Supreme Court staying his conviction?” Why is there no haste to disqualify him now? Is the BJP concerned about the presence of brother #RahulGandhi in Parliament?

 

On March 24, Rahul was disqualified as an MP from Kerala’s Wayanad.

While granting relief to the Congress leader, the Supreme Court said that the lower court’s judgment had far-reaching implications.

 

The panel said that not only was Rahul’s right to stay in public life jeopardized, but so was the voters who elected him.

 

On March 23, a Congress politician was sentenced to two years in prison under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for defamation in a case brought by BJP leader Purnesh Modi.

The Congress has arranged a meeting of its Lok Sabha MPs at the party’s parliamentary office ahead of the Parliament session on Monday. The meeting is set to begin at 10.30 a.m.

 

Following the Supreme Court’s stay of his conviction in the defamation case, the party is expected to press for Rahul’s reinstatement as a Member of Parliament.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the Congress’ Lok Sabha leader, said earlier on Saturday that a copy of the Supreme Court judgment has been properly handed over to the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

Chowdhury expressed unhappiness with the Lok Sabha Secretariat’s reaction to his request that Rahul’s Lower House membership be reinstated as soon as possible so that he may participate in the discussion on the no-confidence vote against the Centre, which starts on August 8.