India’s main opposition leader Gandhi no longer a member of parliament

India’s main opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has been disqualified as a member of parliament, a day after being convicted in a defamation case and sentenced to two years in jail.

“Rahul Gandhi… stands disqualified from the member of Lok Sabha from the date of hi s conviction,” a notice issued by the parliament said on Friday, referring to the lower house.

Gandhi, 52, was found guilty for a speech ahead of the 2019 general election in which he referred to thieves as having the surname Modi.

Gandhi, a scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family, will appeal in a higher court, his party said.

Congress members held protests in some parts of the country on Friday against Gandhi’s conviction and two-year-old jail sentence.

Congress officials have described the court order as politically motivated and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of targeting political opponents.