Petition alleges Rahul Gandhi’s dual citizenship, court seeks Centre’s response

The government today informed the Allahabad High Court that a petition alleging dual citizenship being held by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is being looked into. The case will be heard next on December 19.

The case stems from a plea filed by advocate and BJP leader Vignesh Shishir, who has also sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into Gandhi’s citizenship. The petitioner alleges that there is evidence suggesting Gandhi holds British citizenship, citing emails purportedly obtained from the UK government as part of an earlier inquiry made by another individual, VSS Sarma.

According to the petitioner, Sarma had contacted UK authorities in 2022 for information on Gandhi’s citizenship. While the UK government reportedly confirmed some details, it declined to disclose complete information, citing data protection laws and the absence of a signed letter of authority from Gandhi.

Deputy Solicitor General SB Pandey told the court on November 25 that the Union Home Ministry had received the petitioner’s representation and was processing it. A bench comprising Justice Attau Rahman Masoodi and Justice Subhash Vidyarthi directed the Centre to update the court on its decision by the next hearing.

The court clarified that its current focus is solely on whether the Union government has received and acted upon the petitioner’s representations, rather than broader allegations or demands for a probe.

The petition had earlier been withdrawn in July, with the court granting the petitioner liberty to pursue remedies under the Citizenship Act. The current plea was filed after the petitioner reportedly failed to receive a response to two representations sent to the Union Home Ministry.

The petitioner claims that the emails and supporting materials indicate that Gandhi’s British citizenship could disqualify him from holding Indian citizenship under Indian law.

As per Article 9 of the Indian Constitution, no individual can simultaneously hold Indian citizenship and that of another country.

While the petition is under consideration in the Allahabad High Court, a similar plea has also been filed in the Delhi High Court by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. The Delhi court has indicated that it will hear the case after the Allahabad High Court proceedings reach a conclusion.

The next hearing in the Allahabad High Court is scheduled for December 19, when the Union government is expected to provide updates on the representations filed by the petitioner and its stance on the allegations.