KEY Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has lost his parliamentary seat after a court found him guilty of defamation over his remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surname, a parliamentary statement said on Friday.

Mr Gandhi, who represented a constituency in southern Kerala state as a member of the Indian National Congress, was disqualified from his membership in the lower house of Parliament from March 23, the date of his conviction, the statement said.

Indian parliamentary rules say that a member loses his or her seat if convicted of a crime and sentenced to two or more years in prison.

A court in the western city of Surat sentenced Mr Gandhi to two years in prison on Thursday in the defamation case.
Mr Gandhi was granted bail for 30 days to enable him to file an appeal against the verdict. 

He would be able to resume his seat if he wins his appeal.

During an election rally in 2019, Mr Gandhi said: “Why do all thieves have Modi as their surname?”

He went on to name fugitive diamond tycoon Nirav Modi, banned Premier League boss Lalit Modi and Narendra Modi.