Rahul Gandhi vacates official Delhi bungalow he held since 2005

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was disqualified as MP after conviction in a defamation case, vacated 12, Tughlaq Lane bungalow on Saturday, news agency ANI reported. Gandhi was supposed to hand over the keys to the official bungalow to the Lok Sabha secretariat today, news agency PTI quoted sources as saying.

In a video shared by ANI's official Twitter handle, a truck will Rahul's belongings can be seen moving out of his residence.

The former Congress president was asked to vacate the premises by April 22 following his disqualification after the conviction and two-year sentence by a Surat court for his 'Modi surname' remark. The Lok Sabha Housing Committee, headed by BJP MP CR Patil, had sent him a letter asking him to vacate his 12 Tughlaq Lane bungalow, which he has been occupying since 2005, by April 22.

The former Congress chief had on April 14 shifted his office and some personal belongings from the bungalow to his mother Sonia Gandhi's official residence.

Gandhi moved out his remaining articles on Friday evening from the bungalow which was allotted to him as an MP.

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. Sources said Rahul Gandhi has been on a hunt for a space to set up his independent office.

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 PTI inputs)