Rahul Gandhi asked to vacate government bungalow by 22 April
Indian Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been asked to vacate his government-allotted bungalow at 12, Tughlaq Lane by 22 April, days after he stood disqualified as a Lok Sabha member. According to the rule, a disqualified parliamentarian isn't entitled to a government accommodation, and is given a 30-day period to vacate the official bungalow.
This was Rahul Gandhi's forth term as Lok Sabha MP, first elected in 2004 from Uttar Pradesh's Amethi constituency. In 2019, he lost in Amethi to Union minister Smriti Irani, however managed to win from Kerala's Wayanad seat.
The Congress leader was disqualified from the Lok Sabha on 23 March after he was convicted for a two-year term in a criminal defamation case. According to the Article 102 1(e) of the Constitution and Section 8(3) of the Representation of People Act, 1951, when read together, a Member of Parliament can be disqualified if he or she is convicted of any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for two or more years. The notice to vacate the bungalow was served by the Housing Committee of Lok Sabha.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The disqualification was prompted following a judgement in a criminal defamation case, where a local court in Surat convicted the Congress leader for two-year term over a speech he made ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha election where he asked about 'how all thieves have Modi surnames'.
According to a senior official, as quoted by news agency PTI, Gandhi can seek an extended stay from the Housing Committee which may be considered by the panel.
The allotment of central government bungalows is done through the General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA) Act under the administrative control of the directorate of estates.
A political tussle has erupted between the the Opposition, led by the Congress, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) following Rahul Gandhi's disqualification. In the latest development, Opposition leaders on Monday showed up in the Parliament amid the ongoing Budget session wearking black clothes to mark their protest against the disqualification and double down on their demand for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC)-level investigation into the Adani-Hindenburg case.
BJP leaders, including Union ministers Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan and party president JP Nadda, have counterattacked the Congress and alleged that they are trying to 'validate' the 'offensive language' used against the other background classes (OBC) through their protests.
