Allahabad HC gives Centre four weeks to decide on Rahul Gandhi's dual citizenship

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Monday (March 24) gave the Centre four weeks to decide on the issue of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s citizenship.

As per media reports, the Union Home Ministry had asked for eight weeks to make its decision, but the bench, comprising Justices AR Masoodi and Ajay Kumar Srivastava, shot down the request.

The court set April 21 as the next date of hearing when the Centre needs to file a status report on the citizenship of the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

Also read: Rahul Gandhi's dual citizenship allegations: How tough is the challenge?

Plea by Karnataka resident

The issue of Rahul Gandhi’s citizenship has been a subject of political debate for several years despite him being a Lok Sabha MP since 2004 and his current role as Leader of the Opposition.

The high court was hearing a plea filed by S Vignesh Shishir, a Karnataka resident, who alleged that Rahul is a resident of Britain along with India, and therefore, according to Article 84 (a) of the Constitution, he is ineligible to contest Indian elections. Article 84 (a) of the constitution says that to be qualified for a Parliamentary election, a person must be a citizen of India.

He claimed to have confidential e-mails to support his claim. “We have direct communication from the UK government that Rahul Gandhi is in their citizenship records,” he told NDTV.

“We have presented all the documents. Under Indian laws, dual citizenship is not allowed. Once someone takes the citizenship of another nation, Indian citizenship gets cancelled.”

Swamy’s petition in Delhi HC

Meanwhile, hearing an identical plea filed by former BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in 2019, the Delhi High Court last month directed the Union government to seek instructions.

Swamy, who first raised this allegation in 2015, told a bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice TR Gedela that he had written to the Home Ministry about Rahul’s citizenship status, but no action was taken.

Also read: What's your stand on Swamy's plea over Rahul's citizenship? Delhi HC asks Centre

The Delhi High Court had earlier observed dual proceedings in this case – the petition in Allahabad and the national capital – but questioned the Centre on its apparent inaction.

Congress rejects claims

Swamy's plea is based on the claims that a former British company – formed in 2003 and dissolved six years later – listed Rahul as a UK national in some of its records.

The Congress has always dismissed any talk of Rahul being anything other than Indian. His sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, declared, “Everyone knows Rahul Gandhi is Indian and was born and raised here.” Rahul himself called the allegation “an endeavour to malign my name”.