Congress leader Rahul Gandhi ordered to vacate official bungalow by April 22

Three days after he was disqualified from the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi has been ordered to vacate his government bunlgalow.

Official sources said that the Congress leader has to vacate his bungalow by April 22.    

The Housing Committee of the Lok Sabha took the decision following which, the secretariat of the House served the notice on the former Congress president, a Z-plus protectee, who has been living in the 12 Tughlaq Lane bungalow since 2005.

A local court in Surat, Gujarat, had convicted Gandhi in a criminal defamation case on March 23 and sentenced him to two years in jail.

On March 24, the Lok Saha Secretariat issued a letter about his disqualification from the lower house of the Parliament, informing him about 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 as per the rule, an MP has to vacate the official bungalow within one month of losing his membership.

Sources said Gandhi can write to the Housing Committee seeking an extension, and the panel can take a decision depending on the validity of the reasons cited by him.

The committee has 11 members drawn from different parties and is headed by BJP MP CR Patil.

The notification issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat was marked to various departments, including the Directorate of Estates and the New Delhi Municipal Council, for necessary actions.

Congress member Manickam Tagore, who is a member of the committee, hit out at the government over the decision and linked it to Gandhi's trenchant criticism of its policies.

When Gandhi spoke against a few corporate groups getting all benefits under this government, his security was given to the CRPF from the SPG and when he spoke on February 7 about "Adani & Modi friendship", he was disqualified as an MP, Tagore alleged.

"When RG spoke on March 25 the about Mo-Adani... 27th March they want to take the house also. Wah Narender baba. What else can you take from him now?

(With inputs from PTI)

Rahul Gandhi speaks truth and he is fighting for India against the wealth being gifted to Adani and make him super rich," he tweeted.

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla hit back, saying a government-allotted bungalow is not one's personal property.

(With inputs from PTI)