Rahul Gandhi’s Citizenship: Allahabad High Court Dismisses Plea

Leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s Indian citizenship was challenged in the court. The Allahabad High Court today (5Th May) dismissed a petition regarding this, which is a big relief to the Congress leader. 

The petition was filed by a BJP worker based in Karnataka, named S Vignesh Shishir. In the petition, he alleged that Rahul Gandhi held dual citizenship of India and the United Kingdom, an act that would render him ineligible to contest elections under Article 84 (A) of the Constitution.

Earlier, the court had granted time to the Ministry of Home Affairs when the  Centre had requested additional time, needed for verifying the information from the UK government.

Earlier also Mr. Gandhi also faced the same situation. In 2019, the MHA, on the basis of a complaint,  issued a notice to Rahul Gandhi regarding his citizenship. The complaint was raised by then Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy.

As per allegations made by Subramanian Swamy, a company with the name  Backops Limited was registered in the United Kingdom in 2003, and Rahul Gandhi was listed as one of the directors and secretaries of the company.
Swamy added further in his complaint that the Congress leader had declared his nationality as British in official documents that he submitted to the UK-based company.

"It has been further brought out in the complaint that in the company's annual returns filed on October 10, 2005, and October 31, 2006, your date of birth was given as June 19, 1970, and that you had declared your nationality as British.

Further, in the dissolution application dated February 17, 2009, of the above-referred company, your nationality was also mentioned as British," the notice read.

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