NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has sought clarification from the Union Government regarding allegations of dual citizenship against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. This comes after BJP leader Subramanian Swamy filed a petition claiming that Gandhi violated Article 9 of the Indian Constitution by allegedly declaring himself a British citizen in official documents of a UK-based company, Backops Limited, between 2005 and 2006.
A division bench, including Acting Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, deferred the hearing to January 13, 2025, citing the Centre’s need to reassign counsel following the senior advocate designation of its current representative. Meanwhile, Swamy has reiterated his request for a resolution, citing a lack of response from the Ministry of Home Affairs to his earlier representations.
Parallelly, the Allahabad High Court is examining a similar petition filed by BJP leader Vignesh Shishir, who has called for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into Gandhi’s alleged British citizenship. The Union government is expected to provide an update to the Allahabad High Court by December 19, 2024. The petitioner claims that documents obtained through inquiries reveal Gandhi’s possible British citizenship, a claim which, if proven, could disqualify him under Indian citizenship laws.
These proceedings follow a 2019 Supreme Court dismissal of a comparable plea, where the apex court deemed the evidence insufficient to disqualify Gandhi from contesting elections. The issue remains a point of political contention as courts deliberate further actions.
Source: Web Team, C6N
