Allahabad HC dismisses PIL alleging Rahul Gandhi holds dual citizenship
What's the story
The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad has dismissed a PIL alleging that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi holds a dual citizenship. The court was hearing a plea that claimed Gandhi is also a citizen of the United Kingdom, making him ineligible to be a member of the Lok Sabha. The petition also alleged that Gandhi's supposed citizenship of another nation contravenes Indian law, which doesn't permit multiple citizenship.
Court proceedings
Previous hearings and government response
In an earlier hearing, the court had expressed its displeasure at the Ministry of Home Affairs's (MHA) status report for not addressing Gandhi's citizenship directly. MHA's counsel then sought more time to verify information from the UK government. The court had set a new deadline for May 5.
Citizenship claims
Allegations of foreign nationality
In 2019, the MHA sent a notice to Gandhi after Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy complained that Backops Limited, incorporated in the UK in 2003, had Gandhi as one of its directors and secretaries. It also alleged that he had declared his nationality as British in this UK-based company. "It has been further brought out in the complaint that in the Company's Annual Returns.... you had declared your nationality as British," the notice read.