Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha membership restored; all eyes on no-confidence motion against govt

New Delhi: Lok Sabha membership of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was restored on Monday.

In a notification, the Lok Sabha Secretariat said Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification has been revoked and his membership restored.

Rahul Gandhi can now participate in the no-confidence motion to be moved in the Parliament on August 8 or 10.

VIDEO | Rahul Gandhi arrives in the Parliament following reinstation of his Lok Sabha membership. pic.twitter.com/aA6692LaBq

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 7, 2023

Disqualification of Rahul Gandhi

Gandhi was disqualified as a Lok Sabha member on March 23 after a Gujarat court convicted him in a defamation case. He was also sentenced to two years in jail.

A punishment of two years and above automatically disqualifies a lawmaker.

Supreme Court on Friday had stayed his conviction, paving the way for the restoration of his Lok Sabha membership.

He represents Wayanad in the Lok Sabha

Celebrations in Congress

“The decision to reinstate Rahul Gandhi as a member of Parliament is a welcome step. It brings relief to the people of India and especially to Wayanad. Whatever time is left of their tenure, Bharatiya Janta Party and Modi Government should utilize by concentrating on actual governance rather than denigrating Democracy by targeting Opposition leaders,” AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge tweeted.

No confidence motion

The no-confidence motion was moved by Opposition parties on July 26, 2023. With membership of Rahul restored, all eyes are now on the next move of the opposition.

Lok Sabha has witnessed a lot of turbulence as Prime Minister Narendra Modi skipped the House.

The business advisory committee has now decided that the no-confidence motion will be taken up between August 8 to 10.

“Supreme Court stayed Rahul Gandhi’s unjustified conviction and for 26 hours his position as MP has not been restored. Is the Prime Minister afraid of his participation in the No Confidence Motion?” tweeted Jairam Ramesh, the general secretary in charge of communications. Indian National Congress.

INDIA parties prepare

The no-confidence motion on August 8 has got all the INDIA parties ready as they want Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak on the Manipur situation. There have been protest marches against the silence of the central government in non-BJP-ruled states against the violence in Manipur. The central government is finally taking up the no-confidence motion after 13 working days of the Parliament.

A new precedent in practice

Aam Admi Party leader Raghav Chada says, “Parliamentary rules state that once a no-confidence motion is moved all other business activities are suspended. But for the first time, the government is introducing and passing bills. This raises the issue of the constitutionally of the bills.”

Central government through its various leaders has made it clear that there is no precedent to discuss the no-confidence motion first.

With the Opposition parties demanding a statement on Manipur, the government has finally agreed to take up the motion on August 8 to 10. The Opposition wants the government to officially give a statement on the situation in Manipur and the no-confidence motion was the only way to get Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak on the issue.