New Delhi: On August 4, the Supreme Court stayed the conviction of Rahul Gandhi in the ‘Modi’ surname remark case, leading to the restoration of his Lok Sabha membership. The Congress leader, who was disqualified from the lower house in March 2023, has now been reinstated as the representative for Wayanad.
The Lok Sabha Secretariat, in continuation of Notification No. 21/4(3)/2023/TO(B), dated the 24th of March, 2023, officially announced, "The Supreme Court of India has passed an order on 04.08.2023 in Special Leave to Appeal (Crl.) No. 8644/2023, staying the conviction of Rahul Gandhi, Member of Lok Sabha representing the Wayanad Parliamentary Constituency of Kerala, which was ordered by the judgment dated 23.03.2023 of the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Surat in C.C./ 18712/2019."
The notification further stated, "In view of the order dated 04.08.2023 of the Supreme Court of India, the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi, notified vide Gazette Notification no. 21/4(3)/2023/TO(B) dated the 24th of March, 2023, in terms of the provisions of Article 102(1)(e) of the Constitution of India read with Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, has ceased to operate subject to further judicial pronouncements."
Previously, the Supreme Court had issued an interim order on Friday, staying Gandhi's conviction in the criminal defamation case related to the 'Modi surname' remark. In July, the apex court had issued notices to the Gujarat government and the complainant in response to an appeal by the Congress leader challenging the Gujarat High Court's order. The Gujarat High Court had earlier declined to stay his conviction in the criminal defamation case, leading to Rahul being sentenced to two years in jail by the Surat court over the 'Modi surname' remark. Subsequently, he was disqualified as an MP from Kerala’s Wayanad on March 24.
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