Rahul misses Tughlaq Lane bungalow deadline

The deadline has lapsed for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to accept the re-allotment of 12, Tuglaq Lane bungalow after he was reinstated as Lok Sabha MP following the Supreme Court’s stay on his conviction in the “Modi” surname case.

Congress sources, according to Times of India, this was not an outright rejection of the allotment. However, they also said there is a possibility of Rahul Gandhi not returning to the bungalow in which the Congress leader lived for 19 years but had to vacate in April this year.

When asked to comment on reallocation, Rahul Gandhi earlier said, “Mera ghar poora Hindustan hai”.

Rahul Gandhi was allotted 12, Tughlaq Lane bungalow in 2004 when he became a Member of Parliament (MP) for the first time from Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi. Over the years, 12, Tughlaq Lane emerged as the second power centre to 10, Janpath, the residence of his mother Sonia Gandhi.

On April 22, the former Congress chief vacated his official residence and moved to 10 Janpath in the national capital.

On March 24, Gandhi was convicted and sentenced to two years in jail by the Surat metropolitan court after finding him guilty in the defamation case filed by BJP MLA from Surat Purnesh Modi. A day later, he was disqualified as a Member of Parliament.

Last month, the Gujarat High Court refused to stay his conviction in the case. However, on August 4, the Supreme Court stayed Rahul Gandhi’s conviction in the Modi surname case paving the way for him to return to the Parliament.

Addressing an election rally in Karnataka’s Kolar in 2019, Rahul Gandhi said, “Why all the thieves, be it Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi or Narendra Modi, have Modi as the common surname?”

This type 8 bungalow, which is the highest in its category, was given to Rahul Gandhi during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) era. A corner building in a quiet secluded Tughlaq lane, this house was chosen for its huge space and exclusivity. In fact, the entire house was done up by his sister Priyanka Vadra and is simple and basic. It has a gym and a few offices that double up as Gandhi’s work space.