The Allahabad High Court has asked the Central Government to present its findings on December 19 regarding a public interest litigation (PIL) alleging that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi concealed his British citizenship while contesting the parliamentary election from the Raebareli constituency this year.
A bench comprising Justices A.R. Masoodi and Subhash Vidyarthi issued the directive in response to a PIL filed by S. Vignesh Shishir, a Karnataka-based BJP worker. The petition alleges that Gandhi’s purported dual citizenship violates the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Passport Act, calling for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter.
Allegations and Court Proceedings
Shishir claims to possess documents, including emails from the British government, purportedly proving Gandhi’s British citizenship, rendering him ineligible to contest elections or serve as a Member of Parliament in India. The petitioner said he had twice approached authorities with complaints but filed the PIL after receiving no response.
During an earlier hearing, the court sought clarification from the Centre on whether it had acted on the petitioner’s representation. Deputy Solicitor General S.B. Pandey informed the court that the representation had been received and was under review.
The court has now directed the Centre to provide details of its action on the representation in the upcoming hearing.
