In letter to Lok Sabha Speaker, Cong MP seeks Parliament debate on Rahul's disqualification

Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday wrote to Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla demanding a debate in the Parliament on the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as an MP after his conviction in the ‘Modi surname’ case. In his letter, Chowdhury cited the example of Amreli BJP MP Naranbhai Bhikhabhai Kachhadia - who was not disqualified from his position despite being convicted in a criminal case and sentenced to a three-year jail term, and said that it is “intriguing” Gandhi was disqualified.

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"There should be a debate in the Parliament as to ascertain the fact that whether our leader Shri Rahul Gandhi ji has been awarded disproportionate punishment which smacks of cognitive dissonance or equality of law is meted out to all the elected members whosoever," Chodhury stated in the letter.

The Congress MP mentioned that two conditions are considered before disqualifying an elected member - the member has to be awarded a conviction for an offence, and has to be sentenced to imprisonment for not less than 2 years.

“In my view, the second condition cannot stand the test of the prescribed provision of the Representation of People Act as the sentence of Shri Rahul Gandhi ji was suspended by the Trial Court,” he wrote.

Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from Lok Sabha after being sentenced to two years in prison in a criminal defamation case on March 23.

On Monday, Gandhi's bail was extended till April 13 after a sessions court in Surat admitted his plea against the conviction. In his plea, the Congress leader had asked the court to set aside the magistrate order convicting him in the defamation case and also sought an interim stay on the conviction till the matter was disposed off.