India’s Lok Sabha (House of People) Secretariat Friday issued a notification of disqualification of Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi after he was convicted in a defamation case. The Lok Sabha Secretariat stated that Gandhi, who represented Kerala’s Wayanad Parliamentary Constituency, was disqualified under Article 102 (Disqualifications for membership) of the Constitution of India read with Section 8 (Disqualification on conviction for certain offences) of the Representation of the People Act 1951.

A day before disqualification, the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court of Surat sentenced Indian National Congress leader Gandhi to two years imprisonment in a criminal defamation case for his remark against the “Modi” community. Additionally, the court imposed a fine of INR 15,000 (182 USD).

Earlier, during an election campaign in Karnataka, Gandhi called out three individuals, i.e., Nirav Modi (fugitive diamantaire), Lalit Modi (former cricket administrator) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and remarked that “I have a question. Why do all of them, all of these thieves, have Modi Modi Modi in their names?” Later in April 2019, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Purnesh Modi filed a criminal defamation complaint against Gandhi under Section 499 (Defamation) and Section 500 (Punishment for defamation) of the Penal Code, alleging that Gandhi’s remark defamed the entire community of “Modi.”

The Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate HH Varma found Gandhi guilty of defamation and sentenced him to two years imprisonment. Further, the Court on Gandhi’s plea suspended his sentence for 30 days and granted him bail to challenge the decision through an appeal.

After his conviction, Gandhi tweeted a famous line spoken by Mahatma Gandhi that, “My religion is based on truth and non-violence. Truth is my God, non-violence the means to get it.”