Congress leaders said Rahul Gandhi is not worried and surprised after he was served a notice to vacate the government bungalow allotted to him by April 22.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi along with CPP chairperson Sonia Gandhi arrives for a meeting of Leaders of opposition parties at party president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence in New Delhi on Monday. Congress leaders said Rahul Gandhi is not worried and surprised after he was on Monday served a notice to vacate the government bungalow allotted to him by April 22 following his disqualification as a member of Lok Sabha following his conviction in a defamation case last week.
The Housing Committee of the Lok Sabha took the decision following which the secretariat of the House served the notice on the former Congress president, a Z-plus protectee who has been living in the 12, Tughlaq Lane bungalow since 2005.
The development is likely to further escalate the political fight between the BJP and the Congress and its allies who have targeted the government over the issue.
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said, “Rahul Gandhi is not worried about the house. Whatever the government of India is doing with the country’s democracy is a bigger issue, that is what he told. Every Opposition party is together, we had a cordial discussion and we will move forward with the same energy.”
Party spokesperson Salman Anees Soz claimed that there are “literally millions of Indians” who would open the doors of their homes for Rahul Gandhi. “The petty politics of Modi & minions will backfire, first in the courts and then in the public square,” he tweeted.
Veteran Congress leader Harish Rawat said the party is not surprised that Gandhi has given the notice to vacate the bungalow. “Since Rahul Gandhi questioned the PM regarding the Adani issue, the government is trying to show that it will silence the voice that disagrees with them,” news agency ANI quoted Rawat as saying.
Lashing out at the Centre, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari alleged that the move shows the BJP’s hatred towards Rahul Gandhi. “For a period of 30 days after the notice is served, one can rightfully continue to stay in the same house. After the 30-day time period, one can continue to stay in the same house by paying rent at market rates. Rahul Gandhi comes under Z-plus security category,” Tiwari said.
A local court in Gujarat’s Surat had convicted Gandhi in a criminal defamation case on March 23 and sentenced him to two years in jail. The two-year jail term triggered his disqualification as a Lok Sabha member from the date of the verdict. Gandhi was granted bail to allow him to appeal to a higher court in a month.
A senior official said an MP has to vacate the official bungalow within one month of losing his membership.
The notification issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat was marked to various departments, including the Directorate of Estates and the New Delhi Municipal Council, for necessary actions.
Congress member Manickam Tagore, who is a member of the committee, hit out at the government over the decision and linked it to Gandhi’s trenchant criticism of its policies.
When Gandhi spoke against a few corporate groups getting all benefits under this government, his security was given to the CRPF from the SPG and when he spoke on February 7 about “Adani & Modi friendship” he was disqualified as an MP, Tagore alleged.
“When RG spoke on March 25 the about Mo-Adani… 27th March they want to take the house also. Wah Narender baba. What else can you take from him now? Rahul Gandhi speaks truth and he is fighting for India against the wealth being gifted to Adani and make him super rich,” he tweeted.
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla hit back, saying a government-allotted bungalow is not one’s personal property.