Centre Updates Allahabad High Court on Representation Concerning Rahul Gandhi's Alleged British Citizenship

The central government has informed the Allahabad High Court about receiving a representation under the Citizenship Act 1955. This representation alleges that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi holds British citizenship. Deputy Solicitor General of India, S.B. Pandey, requested additional time to present the status of this representation to the court.

Justices Rajan Roy and Om Prakash Shukla from the Lucknow bench had previously asked for an update on this matter. The request came after S. Vignesh Shishir, a BJP worker from Karnataka, filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). He claimed that no action had been taken by the Centre regarding his allegations against Gandhi.

Allegations and Evidence

The PIL claims that Shishir conducted thorough investigations into Gandhi's alleged British citizenship. He asserts that he accessed confidential emails from the UK Government, which supposedly confirm Gandhi's British nationality. However, these emails reportedly do not disclose specific details due to privacy laws.

According to the UK's Data Protection Act 2018, such information cannot be shared without a signed letter of authority from Gandhi himself. Shishir has called for a CBI inquiry into this issue. He also submitted a statutory representation under Section 92 of the Citizenship Act, urging the Central government to investigate his claims.

Legal Proceedings and Government Response

The High Court had earlier instructed Deputy Solicitor General Pandey to consult with the home ministry about actions taken on Shishir's representation. During Monday's hearing, Pandey informed the bench that he received oral instructions confirming receipt of the representation by the ministry.

Pandey mentioned needing more time to obtain written instructions regarding further actions on this matter. The court has scheduled the next hearing for October 24 to review any updates or progress in this case.

The petitioner insists that despite filing a detailed statutory representation, no steps have been taken by the Centre so far. The court will continue to monitor developments as it awaits further information from government authorities.