On March 23, 2023, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was stripped of his membership in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament. The disqualification came after he was found guilty of criminal defamation and sentenced to two years in jail by a Surat court on March 24, 2023, in a case related to his remarks about the “Modi” surname.
Under section 8 (3) of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951, any Member of Parliament (MP) or Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) convicted of any offense and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years shall be disqualified from the date of such conviction and shall continue to be disqualified for a further period of six years since his release from prison.
Therefore, Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from the Lok Sabha was a direct result of his conviction and sentencing in the criminal defamation case. The disqualification is effective immediately and he will not be able to participate in the proceedings of the Lok Sabha as a Member of Parliament.
The disqualification of a Member of Parliament is a serious matter as it not only affects the individual but also the representation of the people who elected them. Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification serves as a reminder that the law applies to everyone and that no one is above it, regardless of their position or political affiliation.
