Rahul Gandhi's Disqualification As Lok Sabha MP Upheld by Gujarat High Court

Ahmedabad, July 7: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's request to suspend his conviction in a defamation case, stemming from his 2019 remark about the Modi surname, was rejected today by the Gujarat High Court. Consequently, his disqualification as a Lok Sabha MP will remain in effect.

The High Court deemed the conviction to be "just, proper, and legal." In response, the Congress leader plans to approach the Supreme Court. However, given the standing disqualification, it is unlikely that Rahul Gandhi will regain his parliamentary seat in the upcoming monsoon session commencing on July 20. If the Supreme Court also dismisses his request, Rahul Gandhi will be unable to contest the next year's election. Notably, he will not serve jail time as his two-year sentence was previously suspended by a court.

Today's verdict comes as a significant setback for the Congress party as it strategizes for various upcoming elections, including the 2024 national polls.

The Gujarat High Court, in its order, referenced another defamation case filed against Rahul Gandhi by Vinayak "Veer" Savarkar's grandson. Emphasizing the importance of maintaining integrity in politics, the court highlighted the complaint against Rahul Gandhi for his derogatory remarks about Veer Savarkar during a speech at Cambridge.

The High Court clarified that refusing to stay the conviction would not result in any injustice to the applicant. It stressed that Rahul Gandhi's plea for a suspension lacked reasonable grounds. The court noted that there were "as many as 10 cases pending" against Rahul Gandhi and that he was seeking a stay based on non-existent grounds. The judge emphasized that a stay on conviction is not a standard practice.

Rahul Gandhi was awarded a two-year sentence for defamation in a Gujarat court on March 23, following his comment during the 2019 Lok Sabha campaign, where he questioned the prevalence of the Modi surname among alleged thieves.