Allahabad High Court seeks clear report from Centre on Rahul Gandhi’s citizenship status

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi File pic.

The Allahabad High Court in Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, is set to hear a petition filed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) regarding the citizenship status of the opposition leader Rahul Gandhi.

The central government has filed a petition questioning the Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's dual citizenship. The petition alleges that, in addition to being an Indian citizen, Rahul Gandhi also holds citizenship of the United Kingdom, making him ineligible to serve as a Member of Parliament, as holding a dual citizenship breaks the Indian law.

Rahul Gandhi, the member of the opposition party, the Indian National Congress, serves as the 12th leader for the and also as the member of the Lok Sabha for Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh, since June 2024.

According to ANI, in 2019, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notice to Rahul Gandhi concerning this issue. The notice stated:
"It has been further brought out in the complaint that in the Company's Annual Returns filed on October 10, 2005, and October 31, 2006, your date of birth has been given as June 19, 1970, and that you had declared your nationality as British. Further, in the Dissolution application dated 17/02/2009 of the above-referred company, your nationality has been mentioned as British."

The complaint was originally filed by Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy, who claimed that a company named Backops Limited was registered in the UK in 2003, with Rahul Gandhi listed as one of its directors and secretaries.

Citing company documents, Swamy alleged that Gandhi had declared his nationality as a British citizen in official documents with UK authorities.

In the most recent development, the High Court directed the central government to submit a clear and comprehensive response regarding Rahul Gandhi's citizenship. The court expressed dissatisfaction with the previous hearing and the documentation provided by the MHA.

Therefore on the request from the Ministry, the court has granted a 10-day extension for the government to file a revised report explicitly addressing the allegations.

Meanwhile the counsel which is representing the MHA is trying to verify the information from the UK government.

The next hearing has been scheduled for May 5.