Rahul Gandhi Disqualified as Lok Sabha MP After Surat Court Verdict

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 March 23 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 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 Congress has described the judgment as politically motivated and blamed the government and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).