Subramanian Swamy files plea in Delhi HC on Rahul Gandhi’s citizenship status

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy has taken legal action by filing a petition in the Delhi High Court, questioning the citizenship status of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Swamy is urging the court to direct the Union Government to provide a status report on his longstanding complaint against Gandhi.

The controversy dates back to August 2019, when Swamy penned a letter to the Centre, accusing Gandhi of violating constitutional provisions by allegedly declaring himself a British citizen in documents submitted to the British Government. Swamy’s claims revolve around the assertion that Gandhi, an Indian national, may have violated Article 9 of the Indian Constitution and the Indian Citizenship Act of 1955, which strictly prohibits Indian citizens from holding dual citizenship.

According to Swamy, Gandhi’s involvement with a UK-based company, Backops Limited, which was registered in 2003, is at the heart of the issue. Swamy alleged that in the company’s annual returns for 2005 and 2006, Gandhi’s nationality was listed as British, raising serious questions about his Indian citizenship. “If he declared himself a British citizen, it could mean forfeiture of his Indian citizenship,” Swamy alleged.

In April 2019, the Central Government sent a notice to Gandhi titled “Complaint regarding citizenship,” seeking clarification on the matter. Despite this, Swamy contends that there has been no significant progress or resolution to his complaint. He has repeatedly requested updates from the government but claims that his inquiries have been met with silence.