The Allahabad High Court has directed the central government to determine the citizenship status of Congress leader and opposition leader Rahul Gandhi within four weeks. The court has instructed the Centre to submit its report before the next hearing, which is scheduled for April 21.
The controversy over Rahul Gandhi’s citizenship has been ongoing for several years. BJP leaders Subramanian Swamy and Karnataka-based Vignesh Shishir had filed petitions alleging that Gandhi holds British citizenship and sought the cancellation of his Indian citizenship. They contended that as a foreign national, he is ineligible to hold government positions in India.
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Subramanian Swamy has previously claimed that Rahul Gandhi served as a director and secretary of a company registered in the United Kingdom. He further alleged that the company’s annual reports identified Gandhi as a British citizen.
As per Indian law, dual citizenship is not permitted. If an individual acquires citizenship of another country, their Indian citizenship is automatically revoked. Any person recognized as a foreign national must voluntarily renounce their Indian citizenship. Failure to do so would be in violation of Article 9 of the Constitution and the Citizenship Act of 1955.
Petitioner Vignesh Shishir has also stated that he possesses official records from the UK government regarding Gandhi’s citizenship.
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