New Delhi/IBNS: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday responded to a notice asking him to vacate the government bungalow following his disqualification from Parliament's lower house Lok Sabha.

The Congress leader said in his response, "As an elected Member of the Lok Sabha over the last 4 terms, it is the mandate of the people to which I owe the happy memories of my time spent there. Without prejudice to my rights, I will, of course, abide by the details contained in your letter."

The eviction notice from the Lok Sabha housing panel came two days after his disqualification from the Parliament.

The former Congress chief was given 30 days to file an appeal.

Rahul has been sentenced to a two-year jail sentence by a Surat court in the 2019 defamation case for his remark referring to the Modi surname.

During the 2019 Lok Sabha poll campaign, the Gandhi scion had said, "How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname."

A complaint, which was lodged by BJP leader Purnesh Modi, claimed Rahul had defamed the entire Modi community.