Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday vacated the 12-Tughlak Lane residence where he stayed for the past 19 years as an MP, saying he has paid the price for telling the truth and he is ready to pay any price for telling the truth.
Congress said the government may "evict" him from a bungalow but he occupies a place in the hearts and homes of crores of Indians and launched a 'MeraGharAapkaGhar' (My home is yours) campaign on social media with party leaders offering their homes to Gandhi.
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Rahul shifted to his mother and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi's 10-Janpath address "for sometime" and continue to "raise issues" while saying he did not want to request the government to allow him stay at the bungalow allotted to him as an MP in 2004 because people had given it to him and it has been taken away from him.
The Congress leader, who shifted his belongings from the bungalow earlier in the day, was given time till April 22 to vacate the bungalow by the Lok Sabha Secretariat after he was disqualified as a Lok Sabha MP following his conviction in a defamation case. Rahul had the option of paying market rent and continuing to stay in the bungalow after filing an application.
"People of India gave me this house for 19 years but it has been taken away. I want to thank them. For some time, I will stay with the former Congress president (and his mother Sonia Gandhi)," he told reporters after handing over the keys to CPWD officials in the presence of Sonia and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
"It is the price for telling the truth. I am ready to pay any price for speaking the truth," Rahul, whose petition to suspend his conviction to enable him retain his Lok Sabha membership was disallowed by the Surat Sessions Court, said. He was apparently referring to his allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his alleged links with Adani Group.
Priyanka said whatever her brother is saying is the truth and he spoke the truth about the government for which he is suffering. "But he is not scared. He will continue to raise the issue.
Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal, who was also present, said the government can give the bungalow to anyone. He said leaving the house was not a problem for Rahul but the issue was the way in which it was done.
"This is targeting Rahul because of the truth he told the people. The action against Rahul is political vendetta. The whole country knows about it," he said.
Congress tweeted, "Rahul whose relation with the public is unbreakable. Some see in him their son, some brother, some their leader.... Rahul belongs to everyone and everyone belongs to Rahul. This is the reason why today the country is saying- Rahul ji, my house-your house."
Senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor tweeted, "today Rahul Gandhi vacates his home at Tughlaq Lane in response to the LokSabha Secretariat's order. The court gave him 30 days to appeal and the HC or SC could still reinstate him, but his exemplary gesture to move out shows his respect for the rules."