Rahul Gandhi returned as a member of Parliament, four months and 14 days after being disqualified as a result of his conviction in a defamation case. The Supreme Court ordered a stay on the conviction following which Congress leaders wrote to speaker of the Lok Sabha, Om Birla about Gandhi's reinstatement.

Lauding his return, Indian National Congress (INC) president Mallikarjun Kharge said it was a “welcome step.” ​Kharge tweeted, "​The decision to reinstate @RahulGandhi as an MP is a welcome step. It brings relief to the people of India, and especially to Wayanad. ​​Whatever time is left of their tenure, BJP and Modi Govt should utilise that by concentrating on actual governance rather than denigrating Democracy by targeting opposition leaders."

https://twitter.com/kharge/status/1688417638613938176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1688417638613938176%7Ctwgr%5Ef795f36d3181a5008c626b9c5ce0cd494ed441dd%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newindiaabroad.com%2Frahul-gandhi-reinstated-in-parliament%2F

It is to be noted, that Gandhi, who has been the most vocal in his opposition against the Modi government, has been reinstated just one day before the speaker is likely to take up the no confidence motion brought ​against BJP government due to the Manipur issue, for discussion.

Gandhi was sued by Purnesh Modi, a BJP leader from Gujarat, for his comment “Why do all thieves have Modi as their surname?” that he made at a rally. The lawsuit resulted in a two-year sentence for Gandhi, and he was disqualified from the Parliament within 24 hours. However, he was granted bail after the ruling, and avoided jail term.

L​ok Sabha’s secretary general Utpal Kumar Singh said, Gandhi’s disqualification “has ceased to operate subject to further judicial pronouncements” in a statement on August 7, 2023.