“People of Hindustan gave me this house for 19 years, I want to thank them. It’s the price for speaking the truth. I am ready to pay any price for speaking the truth,” said Rahul as he exited the residence and handed over the keys in the presence of his mother Sonia Gandhi, sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and KC Venugopal.
The former Congress president had to vacate the bungalow following his disqualification as MP after he was convicted and sentenced to two years in jail by a Surat court in March 23 for his “Modi surname” remark.
A disqualified MP is not entitled to a government accommodation and gets a one-month period to vacate his official residence.
‘Political vendetta’
Defending her brother, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that Rahul spoke only the truth. “Whatever my brother is saying is the truth. He spoke the truth about the government for which he is suffering. But we are not afraid,” she said.
AICC general secretary Venugopal said: “They can give this house to anyone now. The way the Narendra Modi government and Amit Shah is targeting Rahul Gandhi is completely a political vendetta.”
Rahul shifts to mother’s residence
On April 14, Rahul had shifted his office and some personal belongings from the bungalow to his mother Sonia Gandhi’s official residence 10, Janpath.
Gandhi moved out his remaining articles on Friday evening. A truck was seen exiting the building with his belongings.
A Surat court on March 23 had convicted Gandhi of defamation and given him two-year sentence, leading to his disqualification. He had challenged the magisterial court order in the sessions court in Surat which rejected his appeal to set aside the conviction which would have paved the way for his reinstatement as MP.
The party has said the sessions court order will be challenged in the Gujarat High Court next week.
A day after his disqualification, the Lok Sabha Secretariat had sent Gandhi a notice to vacate the premises by April 22.
A few years ago, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also asked to vacate her Lodhi Estate bungalow after her SPG security cover was removed.
Rahul Gandhi first got elected as an MP from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh in 2004 and shifted his constituency to Wayanad in 2019.
(With inputs from agencies)
Watch Congress leader Rahul Gandhi vacates his official bungalow in Delhi