Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wrote to the Lok Sabha Secretariat on Tuesday saying he would be vacating his official residence at 12, Tughlak Lane, a day after receiving a notice following his disqualification as MP. However, his party colleagues kept up the attack on the BJP government over the issue, seeing it as part of targeting of Rahul. In his letter giving up the bungalow, allotted to him in 2004 after he won his first Lok Sabha election from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, Rahul wrote: “As an elected member of the Lok Sabha for the last 4 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”. The last date for Gandhi to vacate the bungalow is April 22. Rahul Gandhi agrees to vacate official bungalow after notice from House committee Read: pic.twitter.com/EokBffRggV — The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) March 28, 2023 Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said he would himself provide a house for Rahul if matters came to that. "He (Rahul) can go live with his mother or he can come to me, I will vacate one for him. I condemn this attitude of the government to threaten, scare and humiliate," Kharge told reporters. "In a democracy, several times we have managed without a house for three-four months. I got this bungalow after six months. People do these things to humiliate others. I condemn this attitude." Delhi | Rahul Gandhi is not worried about the house. Whatever the government of India is doing with the country's democracy is a bigger issue, that is what he told. Every Opposition party is together, we had a cordial discussion and we will move forward with the same energy:… pic.twitter.com/7O48eYcUTJ — ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2023 Congress general secretary K C Venugopal was quoted by ANI as saying, "Rahul Gandhi is not worried about the house. Whatever the government of India is doing with the country's democracy is a bigger issue, that is what he said." Congress MP Pramod Tiwari told ANI: "This shows the BJP's hatred towards Rahul Gandhi. For a period of 30 days after the notice is served, one can rightfully continue to stay in the same house. After the 30-day time period, one can continue to stay in the same house by paying rent at market rates. Rahul Gandhi comes under 'Z' plus security category." Rahul asked to vacate bungalow Their conscience has gone on a vacation Petty politics Of petty men — Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) March 28, 2023 Rajya Sabha MP and former Congress leader Kapil Sibal called the move "petty politics of petty men". "Rahul asked to vacate bungalow. Their conscience has gone on a vacation," he tweeted. Asked about the matter at a press conference, Union minister Smriti Irani said, "The house does not belong to him, it belongs to the common people."
