‘Ready to pay any price for speaking the truth’: Rahul says as he vacates his bungalow

As Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday vacated his official bungalow in Delhi following his disqualification from Parliament, he said he is ready to pay any price for speaking the truth.

''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...,'' Gandhi said as he officially handed over the keys of his Tuglaq lane bungalow.

As per PTI, the former Congress President 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, PTI reported citing sources. A truck was seen moving out of the building with his belongings.

Rahul Gandhi has been living in the bungalow for nearly two decades. PTI Sources said that after shifting his office, he started living with his mother and Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi at her 10, Janpath 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.

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. PTI 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)