Congress launches mera ghar, aapka ghar campaign, Revanth leads

Hyderabad: In the wake of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi being disqualified and asked to vacate official residence in New Delhi, the Congress party on Tuesday launched "Rahul bhaiyya, Mera ghar…Aapka ghar" campaign on social media.

Telangana Congress president Revanth Reddy led the campaign on social media. "Rahul bhaiyya, Mera ghar…Aapka ghar. I welcome you to my home. We are family, it is your home too," he tweeted. Many other leaders from Congress party were seen sympathising with Rahul Gandhi by asking him to come to their homes.

Rahul Gandhi was on Monday served a notice to vacate the government bungalow, allotted to him, by April 22 following his disqualification as a member of Lok Sabha after his conviction in a criminal defamation case last week.

Rahul on Tuesday replied to the Lok Sabha Secretariat's notice to vacate his official bungalow and said he will abide by the eviction notice, even as his party leaders slammed the government, accusing it of humiliating him.

In his communication to the LS Secretariat, Gandhi said,"thank you for your letter of March 27, 2023, regarding the cancellation of my accommodation at 12 Tughlak Lane. As an elected member of the Lok Sabha over the last four terms, it is the mandate of the people to which I owe the happy memories of my time spent here."

"Without prejudice to my rights, I will, of course, abide by the details contained in your letter," he said in his letter to the MS branch of the LS Secretariat which had sent him the notice.

Slamming the Centre over the eviction notice, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said he condemns the government's attitude to "threaten, scare and humiliate" the former party chief.

He also said that Gandhi could go and live with his mother Sonia Gandhi at her 10 Janpath residence or he could himself provide a house by vacating one for the Gandhi scion.

Asked about the eviction notice at a press conference, Union minister Smriti Irani said the property does not belong to him, but to the people.

A local court in Gujarat convicted Gandhi in a criminal defamation case on March 23 and sentenced him to two years in jail. The conviction triggered his disqualification as a Lok Sabha member from the date of the verdict. Gandhi was granted bail to allow him to appeal to a higher court in a month.

A senior official said a Member of Parliament (MP) has to vacate the official bungalow within one month of losing his membership.

(With inputs from agency)