For the first time since being convicted in a criminal defamation case, Indian opposition leader Rahul Ganghi has returned to Parliament.

Gandhi lost his status as an MP in March after being sentenced to two years in jail over comments he made about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surname in a 2019 election rally.

He was reinstated as MP on Monday, two days after the Supreme Court suspended his conviction.

The Supreme Court said the reasons given by the trial court judge for giving the maximum punishment of two years to Mr Gandhi were “without sufficient reasons and grounds”.

According to BBC News, Gandhi’s return was celebrated by Congress leaders while other opposition party leaders expressed joy.