Rahul joins list of Lalu, Masood, Azam, Jayalalithaa
New Delhi: With Congress leader Rahul Gandhi disqualified from Lok Sabha within 24 hours of his conviction in the criminal defamation case over his ‘Modi surname’ remark, it seems history has come full circle as it was the Gandhi who had opposed an ordinance brought by the then Manmohan Singh-led government to protect politicians convicted in criminal or corruption cases.
The ordinance was brought by the then UPA government to protect RJD’s patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav from disqualification after Yadav was convicted by a court in a fodder scam case. It was September 27, 2013, when Rahul Gandhi, the then vice-president of the Congress, had torn away the ordinance and on March 24, 2023 — about 10 years later — Rahul is on the list of the likes of Lalu Prasad after the Congress leader was convicted by a Surat court in the ‘Modi surname’ case on March 23.
Following the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from the membership of Lok Sabha by the Lok Sabha secretariat on Friday, the list of disqualified MPs and MLAs has become longer.
Before Rahul, NCP MP Mohammad Faizal was disqualified by the Lok Sabha secretariat after he was convicted by a sessions court in an attempt to murder case on January 13, 2023. However, Faizal, an MP from Lakshadweep seat, got his conviction stayed and challenged the Election Commission notification for conducting a special election in the Supreme Court.
Interestingly, the Law Ministry recommended the reinstatement of Faizal after his conviction in an attempt to murder case was put on hold by the Kerala High Court and the Supreme Court directed the EC to cancel its notification.
Lalu Prasad Yadav, who was representing Saran parliamentary seat, was disqualified from Lok Sabha in 2013 after the RJD chief was convicted in a fodder scam.
Rajya Sabha member Rasheed Masood of the Congress party was disqualified from the upper house of Parliament after he was found guilty of criminal conspiracy, cheating, and forgery in allocating seats in a medical college. Masood was disqualified in October 2013 – just a few days after the ordinance was torn away by Rahul Gandhi.
Azam Khan, who was representing Rampur Assembly seat, was disqualified by the Uttar Pradesh Assembly after Rampur Court announced his conviction in a 2019 hate-speech case.
Late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa was also disqualified from her Legislative Assembly seat after she was convicted by the court in an 18-year-old disproportionate assets case. Jayalalithaa was disqualified on September 27, 2014.
Notably, as per Section 8 (3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, MP/MLA convicted of any offense and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years shall be disqualified from the date of conviction.
