Indian opposition dealt major blow as parliament bars Congress leader Gandhi

Supporters of the Youth Congress Party hold placards during a silent protest against the conviction of Rahul Gandhi, President of India's main opposition Congress party, in a 2019 Defamation case by a Surat court, on a street in Mumbai, India, March 23, 2023. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas

NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India's opposition Congress party suffered a major blow on Friday when parliament disqualified its leader, Rahul Gandhi, a day after a court convicted him of defamation for comments that many deemed insulting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Gandhi "stands disqualified from the membership of Lok Sabha from the date of his conviction", the lower house of parliament said in a notice, using its Indian name.