High Court in Allahabad Rejects Petition Accusing Rahul Gandhi of Possessing Dual Nationality
Lucknow Ruling Dismisses Doubt Over Rahul Gandhi's Citizenship but Leaves Question Unanswered
In the heart of Uttar Pradesh, the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court has waved goodbye to a controversial Public Interest Litigation (PIL) questioning the citizenship status of Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. Filed by a BJP worker from Karnataka, the PIL alleged that Gandhi holds dual citizenship of India and the United Kingdom, rendering him ineligible to contest elections under Article 84 (A) of the Constitution.
During the hearing, the Lucknow Bench tossed the ball back into the government's court, asking for details of any action taken on the case. The court's dismissal of the PIL, however, doesn't close the book on doubts about Gandhi's citizenship status entirely. In its previous hearing, the court had expressed disappointment with a report submitted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), expressing a desire for a straight-up answer on Gandhi's citizenship.
The court had given the government 10 days to resubmit a report answering that very question, all because of a petition claiming that the Congress MP was, in fact, a Brit as well as an Indian. Remember when Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy made waves in 2019 by alleging that Gandhi had a secret U.K. identity? He claimed that a company named Backops Limited, registered in the United Kingdom, was directed by none other than Rahul Gandhi himself.
Swamy alleged that the company's Annual Returns filed in 2005 and 2006 listed Gandhi as a Brit, and that he hadn't hidden his nationality even when dissolving the company in 2009. The MHA took note of Swamy's bombshell and served Gandhi with a notice inquiring about his nationality[3].
Now, while the specific PIL has been tossed aside by the court, the broader concern—a definitive answer on Gandhi's citizenship—is still waiting in the wings. The MHA's response to the PIL did not fully clear up the issue, leaving the question hanging in the balance[6]. So, the debate rages on, with more clarification needed before those lingering doubts can be put to rest.
Insights:- The PIL was dismissed without a definitive answer on Gandhi's citizenship status.- The MHA had previously raised doubts about Gandhi's citizenship due to a registered U.K. company and his declared nationality in related paperwork.- Subramanian Swamy continues to demand answers regarding Rahul Gandhi's dual citizenship status.
- The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) questioning Rahul Gandhi's citizenship, but left the question unanswered.
- The court's decision does not completely clear up the doubt over Gandhi's citizenship status, as a petition in the past alleged that he holds dual citizenship of India and the United Kingdom.
- In 2019, Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy claimed that Gandhi had a secret U.K. identity, citing a company named Backops Limited, registered in the United Kingdom, which he allegedly directed and whose Annual Returns listed Gandhi as a Brit.
- The Ministery of Home Affairs (MHA) took note of Swamy's claims and served Gandhi with a notice inquiring about his nationality, yet the MHA's response to the PIL did not fully clear up the issue, keeping the debate about Gandhi's citizenship status ongoing.
