Delhi HC seeks Home Ministry’s stand on Subramanian Swamy’s plea over Rahul Gandhi’s British Citizenship

Delhi HC directs MHA to respond to Swamy’s plea over RaGa’s citizenship

The Delhi High Court on Friday directed the Union Home Ministry to place its stand on BJP leader Subramanian Swamy‘s plea seeking directions to the Ministry of Home Affairs to decide over the complaint on Rahul Gandhi’s British Citizenship. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela asked the proxy counsel for the Central government to take instructions in the matter.

“We want to have the assistance of the counsel from the state before we pass any order,” the bench said. The court, which was initially inclined to issue notice on the petition, was informed by the Centre’s proxy counsel that the lawyer who was earlier representing the government in the matter was designated as a senior advocate. He therefore sought some time for a new counsel to be engaged in the case. The bench subsequently posted the matter on January 13, 2025.

Swamy’s plea, filed by advocate Satya Sabharwal, said on August 6, 2019, a letter was sent to the Home Ministry alleging Gandhi had “voluntarily disclosed” to the British government that he was a citizen of British nationality, amounting to holding a British passport. Swamy before said the Congress leader, being an Indian citizen, had violated Article 9 of the Constitution, read with the Indian Citizenship Act, and would cease to be an Indian citizen. In April 2019, the Home Ministry issued a show cause notice to Rahul Gandhi, based on Swamy’s complaint.

Swamy argued that despite making several representations to the ministry inquiring about the status of his complaint, no action was taken, nor was he informed about it. He accused Rahul Gandhi of forming a company named Backops Ltd in London in 2002 and being declared a British citizen with a London address in the British company register until 2009, even while serving as an MP since 2004.[1]

Allahabad High Court is also hearing a similar filed by a BJP member Vignesh Shishir. In this case, the Central government was directed to inform its stand on probe on Rahul Gandhi’s citizenship by December 19.[2]

Reference:

[1] Subramanian Swamy files petition against Home Ministry for not taking action on Rahul Gandhi’s British citizenship – Aug 16, 2024, PGurus.com

[2] Allahabad HC seeks govt reply on plea claiming ‘Rahul Gandhi a UK citizen’ – Nov 27, 2024, ToI

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