The farce ends.

The farce that Rahul Gandhi showed the mal-intent of defaming an OBC community and hence must be sent to jail, thrown out of Parliament and debarred from contesting election had to end. The farce that his indiscretion fell in the category of “moral turpitude”, and a jail term of a day less than two years wouldn’t suffice, couldn’t have continued forever.

“Truth had to triumph, today or tomorrow,” Rahul said simply at a news conference he addressed with other Congress leaders. “My objective is clear; there is clarity in my mind about what I have to do,” he added, avoiding any show of triumph. Earlier, Rahul had tweeted: “Come what may, my duty remains the same: Protect the idea of India.”

The farce, according to the Congress, was overtly political. The legal argument put forward by Rahul’s lawyer Abhishek Singhvi rested on the fact that all the 13 cases filed against him were by BJP workers.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said: “The BJP’s conspiratorial hounding of Rahul Gandhi has been thoroughly exposed. Time for them to stop their malicious targeting of Opposition leaders. It is high time they respected the mandate given by the people and start governing the country, on which they have miserably failed in the last 10 years.”

Seeking immediate restoration of Rahul’s membership of the Lok Sabha, senior lawyer and party leader P. Chidambaram voiced the same sentiment: “Please remember that we have not been able to find a case where the court imposed the maximum punishment of two years for ‘slander’ in the last 162 years. We maintain that the case was manufactured with the sole intention of keeping Rahul Gandhi from Parliament.”

Party’s communications chief Jairam Ramesh also hinted at a political conspiracy to frighten Rahul into submission that was just undone.

He said: “The Supreme Court judgment is a strong vindication of truth and justice. Despite relentless efforts of the BJP machinery, Rahul has refused to bend, break or bow, choosing instead to place his faith in the judicial process. Let this be a lesson to the BJP and its acolytes: you can do your absolute worst but we will not back down. We will continue to expose and call out your failures as a government and as a party. We will continue to uphold our constitutional ideals and repose faith in our institutions which you so desperately want to destroy. Satyamev Jayate!”

Repeatedly describing the verdict as a victory for democracy, Kharge linked the legal battle with politics, arguing that a leader who walked 4,000km to protect constitutional principles, for people’s concerns like high prices and unemployment, a leader who fights for truth and justice was sought to be silenced.

Congress’s leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Chowdhury said a leader whose family had made two supreme sacrifices was kicked out of his official residence soon after the disqualification when many BJP leaders were staying in their official bungalows without being an MP.

The stay on conviction is a huge relief to the Congress as Rahul will now be able to contest the next election. It is also a major psychological boost to Opposition politics as the entire episode deepens the perception of the vindictive politics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Congress is itching to instantly encash the reward by fielding Rahul to unleash a no-holds-barred attack on Modi during the no-confidence motion, which will be taken up on Tuesday.

The desperation to get a quick reversal of his disqualification was apparent. Chowdhury has already met the Lok Sabha Speaker and requested him to restore Rahul’s membership with the same speed as his disqualification. Kharge also said: “The disqualification happened within 24 hours even as the judgment order had to come from Gujarat. Now the judgment is delivered in Delhi and the Speaker should decide tonight or tomorrow.”

Asked if the Speaker has to take the view of the law ministry before the restoration of Rahul’s membership, Singhvi said: “No. There was complete legal clarity when the disqualification was done. The disqualification was the consequence of conviction. The BJP leaders said at that time the disqualification was automatic. When the conviction has been stayed, restoration of membership should be automatic.”

There is a precedent of Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal whose membership was not restored for two months even after the court suspended his conviction that led to his disqualification. The Lok Sabha secretariat restored his membership on the very day the Supreme Court was to hear his petition against the delay.

Singhvi said: “I hope we don’t have to go to the Supreme Court again for restoration of his (Rahul’s) membership. There can be several excuses but any delay will show mala fide intent and will be graceless.”

The Congress will leave no stone unturned to get Rahul into the Lok Sabha before the Prime Minister replies to the debate on the no-confidence motion. The party’s Twitter handle showed him in the Lok Sabha with a photograph of Modi with businessman Gautam Adani, along with a message: “Aa raha hun. Sawaal jari rahenge (I am coming, questions will continue).”