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<\/div>\nS Jaishankar said the law has been applied to 10-12 elected representatives. (File)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
New Delhi: <\/b><\/p>\n
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said no foreign diplomat has raised with him the issue of Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from the Lok Sabha, which was an outcome of a law “supported” by the Congress leader in the past.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the Rising India Summit of Network18, S Jaishankar said Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification as member of Lok Sabha happened as he refused to express regret about the disparaging remarks he made against a community at a public meeting four years ago.<\/p>\n
“The law is the law, unless somebody thinks that the law is not for them,” S Jaishankar said.<\/p>\n
The minister replied in the negative to a question whether any of his diplomatic counterparts had raised the issue with him.<\/p>\n
“Four years ago Rahul Gandhi was disparaging of a community in a public meeting. It is on public record. A member of that community took offense and began legal proceedings,” S Jaishankar said, on how he would explain the issue to his counterparts abroad.<\/p>\n
The external affairs minister said Mr Gandhi had an opportunity to rectify the situation by expressing regret, but chose not to do so.<\/p>\n
“The legal process produced an outcome. The outcome triggered a law, which Rahul Gandhi had himself supported some years ago,” he said referring to the verdict of a Gujarat court sentencing the Congress leader to a two-year jail term in a defamation case.<\/p>\n
S Jaishankar said the law has been applied to 10-12 elected representatives, including of the ruling party.<\/p>\n
As per Section 8(3) of the Representation of the Peoples Act, a person convicted of any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years, shall be disqualified.<\/p>\n
The disqualification, as per the Act, shall begin on the date of the conviction and continue for a period of six years after his release.<\/p>\n
In Rahul Gandhi’s case, unless the conviction is stayed by an appellate court, his disqualification will continue for a total of eight years – two years of imprisonment plus six post-release.<\/p>\n
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n