NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha membership suspension was revoked on Monday.

His status as the MP from Kerala’s Wayanad was restored after the Lok Sabha Secretariat issued a notification in the wake of the Supreme Court staying his conviction in a defamation case.

As per the notification by the Lok Sabha, “the suspension ceases to operate subject to further judicial pronouncements”.

He was accorded a warm welcome by Congress and other Opposition MPs on his arrival in parliament after his Lok Sabha membership was restored.

Mr Gandhi reached the Parliament House complex around 12 noon and headed straight to the Mahatma Gandhi statue and paid floral tributes.

MPs of the Congress and the opposition INDIA bloc welcomed him at gate number one of parliament, raising slogans.

A copy of the Supreme Court order that stayed Mr Gandhi’s conviction by a Surat court in a criminal defamation case was formally handed over to the Lok Sabha Secretariat, the party’s leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said on Saturday.

Mr Chowdhury had conveyed his disappointment over the Lok Sabha Secretariat’s response to his request that Mr Gandhi be immediately reinstated so that he can participate in the no-confidence motion against the Modi government, which begins on Tuesday, which now he can.

In a relief to Mr Gandhi, the Supreme Court, in an interim order on Friday, stayed his conviction of two year jail term for defamation.

The stay on Mr Gandhi’s conviction has paved the way for his return as MP, though he failed to get any relief from either the sessions court or the Gujarat High Court.

The apex court issued notices to the Gujarat government and the complainant in July on an appeal of the Congress leader challenging the Gujarat High Court order.

Agencies add: Fellow Congress party MP Shashi Tharoor also welcomed Gandhi’s return “with enormous relief”.

“He can now resume his duties in the Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament) to serve the people of India and his constituents... A victory of justice and for our democracy,” he said.

Many Congress leaders posted videos and messages hailing Mon­day’s order, and Kharge offered sweets to opposition leaders.

Dancing supporters waving flags gathered outside Congress headquarters in New Delhi, shouting slogans backing Gandhi and thumping drums. “The order of conviction needs to be stayed pending final adjudication,” Justice B.R. Gavai said in his ruling.

Gandhi is the son, grandson and great-grandson of former prime ministers, beginning with independence leader Jawaharlal Nehru.

Congress was once the dominant force of Indian politics, but Gandhi has lost two elections to Modi and his Hindu nationalist BJP after being cast as a princeling out of touch with the concerns of ordinary Indians.

The weakened Congress has tried to stitch together a grand coalition with disparate regional opposition parties in the run-up to the 2024 national elections, in which Modi hopes to win a third successive term in office.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2023