Court Directs Centre To Decide On Rahul Gandhi’s Citizenship Status

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to revoke the citizenship of Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi was dismissed by the Allahabad High Court's Lucknow bench, which directed the Central Government to reach a final decision on the matter. The panel, which included Justices Rajiv Singh and AR Masoodi, stressed that the case is within the Center's jurisdiction because it involves coordination between two foreign governments.

The court ordered the Centre to finish its investigation and notify S Vignesh Shishir, the petitioner, when a decision is reached. Additionally, it gave the petitioner the freedom to go back to court for additional legal action once the government has made its judgement.

The Central Government was unable to give a precise schedule for addressing the issue, the justices observed. The court saw no justification for keeping the case pending in the absence of a clear timeline. It did clarify, though, that when the Centre makes a final decision, the petitioner is still free to seek alternative legal options or submit a new petition.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) was criticised by the court in a previous hearing for providing a status report that lacked a clear statement regarding Rahul Gandhi's Indian citizenship. In order to give the Centre a definitive answer about Gandhi's citizenship status, the bench has rescheduled the hearing for May 5.

Since dual citizenship is prohibited by Indian law, Rahul Gandhi would not be eligible to serve as a Member of Parliament if the petition's allegation that he is also a British citizen is confirmed.

The MHA's attorney asked for more time during the proceedings so that they could confirm information with the UK government. Consequently, the court set a new deadline of May 5 for the production of a comprehensive report.

The controversy began in 2019 after Rahul Gandhi received a notice from the Ministry of Home Affairs after Subramanian Swamy, a Rajya Sabha MP at the time, filed a complaint.

According to Swamy, Rahul Gandhi was identified as one of the directors and secretaries of a company called Backops Limited that was incorporated in the UK in 2003.

Swamy also claimed that Gandhi had said in a number of formal documents filed in the UK that he was a British national. The company's October 10, 2005, and October 31, 2006, Annual Returns, which stated Gandhi's birthdate as June 19, 1970, and his nationality as British, were highlighted in the case. According to reports, this designation resurfaced in the business's February 17, 2009, filing for dissolution.

A formal response from the Centre is currently awaited, and subsequent legal actions may ensue.