In a significant development, the Delhi High Court has reclassified Subramanian Swamy’s petition concerning the citizenship status of Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). The court, under Justice Sanjay Narula, has forwarded the case to the roster bench for further proceedings.
Swamy’s petition alleges that Rahul Gandhi holds British citizenship, supported by his possession of a British passport. He has urged the Home Ministry to address the issue, claiming that Gandhi serves as a director of Backlops Limited, a UK-registered company. Swamy has cited company records from 2005 and 2006 indicating Gandhi’s date of birth as June 19, 1970.
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The controversy surrounding Gandhi’s citizenship reignited last week when Swamy accused him of holding British citizenship. Swamy had previously addressed the Home Ministry in August 2019, invoking Article 9 of the Indian Constitution, which stipulates that an individual cannot be a citizen of more than one country. Despite the lapse of five years, the Home Ministry has yet to clarify its stance or actions regarding this matter.
The question of Rahul Gandhi’s citizenship has been a recurring issue, with several RTI applications filed in the past seeking clarification. The court’s decision to convert the petition into a PIL underscores the seriousness with which the judiciary is approaching this high-profile case.
