Rahul told to vacate house by April 23

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 27

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been asked to vacate his Tughlaq Lane bungalow, which he has been occupying since 2005. Gandhi has been told by the Lok Sabha Secretariat that the allotment of his present residence shall “deem to have been cancelled with effect from April 23”.

The step follows Gandhi’s disqualification from the Lok Sabha following the two-year jail term handed to him by a Gujarat court in a defamation case. Gandhi, who represented the Wayanad constituency in Kerala, was disqualified on March 24 with effect from March 23 (the day he was convicted and handed out a sentence of two years).

A letter sent to Gandhi from the LS Secretariat stated that consequent upon his disqualification from the membership of 17th LS, the allotment of his present accommodation shall deem to have been cancelled with effect from April 23. The letter, signed by Mohit Rajan, Deputy Secretary, informed the former Congress president that he could retain Bungalow No. 12, Tughlaq Lane, along with its units as his regular accommodation in the capacity of Member of 17th Lok Sabha “for a maximum period of one month i.e. up to April 22 on terms and conditions as were applicable as a member immediately before your disqualification.”