Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, March 28, said that he will abide by the eviction notice that was sent to him by the Lok Sabha secretariat. Rahul will have to vacate his official residence in Tughlak Lane in Delhi’s Lutyens after he was disqualified as a Member of Parliament. “As an elected Member of the Lok Sabha over the last four terms, it is the mandate of the people to which I owe the happy memories of my time spent here,” Rahul said in his reply.
“Without prejudice to my rights, I will of course, abide by the details contained in your letter,” Rahul said. The Lok Sabha secretariat served the notice to him on Monday, March 27. He has 30 days since the notice was issued to vacate the house.
Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as a Member of Parliament a day after he was convicted by a Gujarat court in a defamation case. A complaint was filed against him by a Gujarat MLA over Rahul’s comment in 2019 in Karnataka, when he said "how come all the thieves have Modi as common surname.” He was convicted under Indian Penal Code sections 499 and 500. The maximum punishment under this section is two years.
However, he was granted bail on the same day and the court suspended his sentence, allowing him to appeal to a higher court. Opposition parties across the country came out in support of Rahul, alleging that the move was unconstitutional. The Congress also held a 24-hour country-wide protest.