Rahul Gandhi returns to Parliament

Congress lawmaker Rahul Gandhi re-entered Lok Sabha after being disqualified for 137 days. He is expected to initiate the no-confidence motion debate on Tuesday.

Congress lawmaker Rahul Gandhi re-entered the Lok Sabha on Monday, 137 days after his disqualification on March 24, and a day ahead of the debate of the no-confidence motion that begins on Tuesday, which he is likely to initiate.

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Gandhi’s return followed the Lok Sabha secretariat’s notification revoking his ouster.

Gandhi came to the Parliament complex before noon amid joyous celebrations of the Congress leaders who rushed to the main gate of the Parliament building to greet him as he got down from his SUV. The former Congress chief, who has been a member of Parliament since 2004, paid floral tributes at the Mahatma Gandhi statue before coming to the Lok Sabha. The House was adjourned a little later.

“After paying obeisance to Bapu, I entered the Lok Sabha,” Gandhi wrote on his Facebook.

With the debate on the no-confidence motion starting on Tuesday in the Lok Sabha, Congress leaders said efforts are on to ensure Gandhi initiates the debate even as Congress’ deputy leader of the house Gaurav Gogoi has moved the motion.

“Gogoi is entitled to offer his time to any other speaker. In Parliamentary lingo, we say, he can give his microphone to another speaker,” added a senior Lok Sabha official.

“We want Gandhi to initiate the debate. But it will entirely depend on him as he needs time to prepare for it,” said a Congress leader.

Minutes before House proceedings started on Monday, the Lok Sabha secretariat issued a notification to withdraw its March 24 notification that disqualified Gandhi.

“The Supreme Court of India has passed an order on 4.8.2023 in Special Leave to Appeal (Crl) staying the conviction of Rahul Gandhi, Member of the Lok Savga representing the Wayanad Parliamentary constituency of Kerala, which was ordered by the judgement dated 23.03.2023 of the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Surat,” it said.

“In view of the order, of the Supreme Court of India, the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi notified vide Gazette notification dated 24 March, 2023… has ceased to operate subject to further judicial pronouncements,” it added.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge enthusiastically distributed sweets to the Opposition leaders when the news of withdrawal of Gandhi’s suspension was conveyed at the strategy meeting of the INDIA parties. Later, Kharge tweeted, “The decision to reinstate Shri @RahulGandhi as an MP is a welcome step. It brings relief to the people of India, and especially to Wayanad. Whatever time is left of their tenure, BJP and Modi Govt should utilise that by concentrating on actual governance rather than denigrating Democracy by targeting opposition leaders.”

Gandhi was disqualified after his conviction in a criminal defamation case filed by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader. The stay on Gandhi’s conviction also makes him eligible to get back his bungalow at Tughlaq Lane. Lok Sabha officials said that the bungalow has been vacant since he left it and the same bungalow might be given to Gandhi, if he so desires.

Gandhi’s reinstatement process required the secretariat to open a file on the subject, which was cleared by top authorities before the circular was issued by an official to withdraw the March 24 order.

On Friday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge stressed that the revocation of the disqualification should happen early. “It has to be seen as to how much time the Lok Sabha will take in reinstating Rahul Gandhi as a member,” he said, pointing out that when a Surat court convicted Gandhi on March 23, the Lok Sabha secretariat disqualified him the next day.

Congress’ Lok Sabha floor leader Adhir Chowdhury met Speaker Om Birla on Saturday to urge him to expedite the process.

“Supreme Court said that it is staying the conviction of Rahul Gandhi. What does it mean? It means that he will get the opportunity to participate in the Parliamentary proceedings once again...The speed with which Rahul Gandhi was disqualified...; should be the same to reinstate him,” Chowdhury said on Saturday.