The Delhi High Court adjourned the hearing on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the cancellation of Rahul Gandhi’s Indian citizenship on Wednesday. The plea alleges that Gandhi has “declared himself a British citizen.”
The bench, led by Chief Justice Manmohan, decided not to hold judicial proceedings in the post-lunch session. Instead, it scheduled the matter for hearing on November 6. The court also requested the petitioner to provide a copy of the order from the Allahabad High Court regarding a similar petition.
In a previous session, the bench, which includes Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, emphasized that the same issue should not be addressed simultaneously in different forums. The bench had asked the Union government’s standing counsel to retrieve the status of the case pending in the Allahabad High Court.
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“We intend to ensure that we do not usurp the other High Court’s jurisdiction,” the court remarked.
The PIL, filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy through advocate Satya Sabharwal, urges the Home Ministry to provide a status report on Swamy’s complaint against Gandhi and to resolve it promptly. In 2019, Swamy wrote to the Home Ministry, alleging that Gandhi violated regulations by disclosing his British nationality to the UK government.
Swamy contends that this declaration means Gandhi is no longer an Indian citizen under Article 9 of the Constitution and the Indian Citizenship Act, 1955. He cited that a company named Backops Limited, registered in the UK, listed Gandhi as a director and secretary, with his nationality declared as British.
Swamy further noted that he has made multiple representations to the Home Ministry but has received no updates or actions regarding his complaint. Therefore, he requested the court to direct the Home Ministry to furnish a status report and to expedite the resolution of his complaint against Gandhi.