PIL on Rahul Gandhi’s citizenship: HC gives 4-week time to Centre

Lucknow: A Lucknow bench of Allahabad high court Monday granted four-week time to the Centre to give its response to a PIL moved against leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, questioning his citizenship status.

The PIL, moved by a BJP worker from Karnataka, S Vignesh Shishir, sought cancellation of Rahul’s election in 2024 LS polls, alleging that he had a British citizenship which he ‘concealed’. While giving the Centre four weeks for its response, the bench of Justice A R Masoodi and Justice AK Srivastava directed that the matter be listed for next hearing in the week starting April 21.

The court had sought the Centre’s response to the PIL earlier as well, while hearing the petition on Nov 25 last year.

Subsequently, the court was apprised by the Centre’s counsel that the ministry concerned had written a letter to the UK govt seeking details about Rahul’s alleged British citizenship and hence the govt needed time to take a final decision. The Centre has since sought many extensions.

In the PIL, the petitioner has claimed that he has all the documents and some emails of the British govt which prove that Rahul is a British citizen and, therefore, ineligible to contest elections in India.

The petitioner claimed that earlier he sent complaints twice to the competent authority regarding Rahul’s ‘dual citizenship’, but the present petition was filed as no action was taken by them.

The petition demands CBI probe into Rahul’s alleged dual citizenship.

Courtesy : TOI

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