Ayodhya: Rahul Gandhi invited to stay at Hanumangarhi temple

A seer of Hanumangarhi temple, Mahant Sanjay Das, on Tuesday offered to let Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stay at the Ayodhya temple premises after the latter was asked to vacate his government bungalow following his disqualification as a member of the Lok Sabha.

The Congress leader lost his membership in the Lower House of Parliament after a Surat court convened and sentenced him in a 2019 criminal defamation case. The case pertained to a comment he made using the surname ‘Modi’ while addressing a campaign event ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The Lok Sabha Secretariat issued a notice to Rahul Gandhi on 27 March, asking him to vacate his government bungalow following his disqualification as an MP.

As per the notice, the allotment of his government bungalow will be cancelled with effect from 24 April. Offering him a stay at the Hanumangarhi shrine, Mahant Sanjay Das said, “We will welcome Rahul Gandhi at Hanumangarhi and Ayodhya. We will offer our place to him if he comes here.”

In a letter to the deputy secretary, MS Branch, Lok Sabha Secretariat, dated March 28, Rahul said he owed the happy memories of his time spent at the bungalow to the mandate of the people. Earlier, on 28 March, Rahul said he would abide by the direction to vacate the government-allotted property.

“As an elected Member of 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,” Rahul tweeted. Congress workers held protests in different parts of the country following the disqualification of the former Wayanad MP. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said Rahul Gandhi can come stay with him or Sonia Gandhi.

“They will make all attempts to weaken him (Rahul Gandhi), but once he vacates his bungalow, he can move in with his mother or me,” Kharge told ANI earlier. “I condemn the attitude of the government to scare, threaten, and humiliate him. This is not the way. Sometimes, we’ve been without a bungalow for three to four months. I received my bungalow after six months. People do this to humiliate others. I condemn such an attitude,” he added.