- विज्ञापन -
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has called for the Union government’s response regarding a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that seeks to revoke Rahul Gandhi’s Indian citizenship, claiming he has identified himself as a British citizen.
A bench led by Acting Chief Justice (ACJ) Vibhu Bakhru instructed the Union government’s standing counsel to seek guidance from the Union Home Ministry on this issue. The bench, which also includes Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, has scheduled the next hearing of Subramanian Swamy’s PIL for January 13, 2025. This delay is due to the previous counsel being promoted to senior advocate, necessitating the assignment of a new representative for the case.
The ACJ Bakhru-led bench chose not to issue a formal notice to the respondents but directed the standing counsel to gather necessary instructions. In a previous session, the Delhi HC asked Swamy’s attorney to present the order from the Allahabad High Court related to a similar case, emphasizing that the same issue should not be simultaneously adjudicated in different forums to uphold justice.
Swamy’s plea requests that the Union Home Ministry provide a status report regarding his complaint against Gandhi and expedite the decision process. Swamy, a BJP leader, had contacted the Union Home Ministry in 2019 regarding alleged violations by Gandhi, who reportedly disclosed to the UK government that he is a British citizen.
Swamy argues that this declaration causes Gandhi to lose his Indian citizenship based on Article 9 of the Constitution in conjunction with the Indian Citizenship Act, 1955. He referenced that a company called Backops Limited was registered in the UK in 2003, with Gandhi listed as a director and secretary. Documents from the company indicated that Gandhi identified his nationality as British.
The petition, filed by advocate Satya Sabharwal on Swamy’s behalf, claims that despite multiple representations to the Home Ministry seeking updates on his complaint, there has been no response or action taken. Thus, the petition aims to compel the Home Ministry to provide a status report on Swamy’s complaint against Gandhi and inform him of the final outcome.
