Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was disqualified from the Lok Sabha last month following his conviction in a 2019 defamation case, on Saturday said he was paying the “price for speaking the truth” as he vacated his government bungalow and shifted to his mother Sonia Gandhis’ residence in the national capital.
The former MP from Kerala’s Wayanad was allotted the government bungalow at 12 Tughlak Lane after he won from Amethi in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. He had started shifting his belongings on April 14 to Sonia Gandhi’s residence at 10 Janpath.
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“The people of Hindustan gave me this house for 19 years. I want to thank them. There is a price for speaking the truth these days. Whatever the cost, I will pay it,” he said, adding he would continue to raise issues of price rise and corruption with double the force.
On March 27, the Lok Sabha secretariat had asked Rahul to vacate his official residence by April 22 after he was disqualified from the Lower House on March 24. A day later, Rahul said he will abide by the notice.
{{/usCountry}}On March 27, the Lok Sabha secretariat had asked Rahul to vacate his official residence by April 22 after he was disqualified from the Lower House on March 24. A day later, Rahul said he will abide by the notice.
{{/usCountry}}On Saturday, Rahul, accompanied by his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, vacated the bungalow and handed over the keys to the Lok Sabha officials.
“I have no problem even if it has been snatched away from me. This house was given to me by the people of India. I will stay with the former Congress president (Sonia Gandhi) at 10 Janpath for some time and then find some other way,” Rahul said.
After a politician ceases to be a member of either House, the official accommodation allotted to him is withdrawn, but the period of time taken in sending an eviction notice is often much longer. Congress leaders earlier pointed out that some leaders, such as Ghulam Nabi Azad who retired from the Rajya Sabha in 2022, still retain their official bungalow.
“Rahul ji spoke the truth about the government, that’s why all this is happening with him. But Rahul ji is very courageous, he is not afraid, will not be afraid and will continue the struggle,” Priyanka said.
Party general secretary KC Venugopal, who was also present at the spot during the handover, said, “They can give this house to anyone now. The way the (Narendra) Modi government and (Union home minister) Amit Shah is targeting Rahul Gandhi is political vendetta.”
A senior Congress leader pointed out that unlike many MPs, Rahul did not seek any extension and had informed the Lok Sabha secretariat that he would vacate the premises.
On March 23, Rahul was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison by a metropolitan magistrate’s court in Surat in a criminal defamation case for a remark he made ahead of the 2019 general elections about the Modi surname.
Under the law, the conviction and two-year jail term renders Rahul unfit to enter either House of Parliament for a period of eight years. But this can be reversed if he can get the conviction overturned or the sentence reduced to less than two years by a higher court.
On April 20, a sessions court in Surat dismissed Rahul’s plea for a stay on his conviction. The Congress has decided to move the high court.