Rahul Gandhi disqualified as Lok Sabha MP after Surat court verdict

Indian Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha from the date of his conviction by a Surat court in the criminal defamation case on 23 March over his 'Modi surname' remark.

"Rahul Gandhi... stands disqualified from the member of Lok Sabha from the date of his conviction," a notice from the national parliament said on Friday.

Gandhi was convicted Thursday in a criminal defamation case for his "Modi surname" remarks and sentenced to two years of imprisonment. The court granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court. A complaint was filed by BJP MLA Purnesh Modi for his alleged remark, "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?"

The Wayanad MP attended Lok Sabha on Friday briefly as the House was adjourned for an hour soon after it convened for the day.

The Congress has described the judgment as politically motivated and blamed the government and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The court of chief judicial magistrate HH Varma, which held 52-year-old Gandhi guilty under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 and 500, also granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court.

Gandhi can escape immediate disqualification as a member of parliament if the appellate court suspends the conviction as well as the two-year jail term.