Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha membership restored

Lok Sabha membership of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was on Monday restored by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, three days after the Supreme Court stayed his conviction in a defamation case.

In an order issued by the Lok Sabha secretariat on Monday, it was informed that in view of the Supreme Court order dated August 4, Gandhi’s disqualification, which was ordered on March 24 this year, stands withdrawn.

The Supreme Court on August 4 had stayed Gandhi’s conviction in a defamation case against him.

A Surat court had earlier found him guilty and handed him the maximum sentence of two years’ imprisonment — leading to his disqualification from the Lok Sabha.

The Gujarat High Court had refused to stay the conviction, after which Gandhi had appealed in the Supreme Court.