Allahabad High Court’s Lucknow bench has dismissed a petition challenging Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Indian citizenship. The court has also noted that the petitioners which has failed to produce any concrete document supporting the claims that Rahul Gandhi was a British Citizen. A bench of Justices Shekhar B Saraf and Abdhesh Kumar Chaudhary passed the order on Monday. The order was made available on Wednesday.
What Did The Petition Claim?
The petition was filed by Ashok Pande and Rajnish Kumar Singh. It sought a writ of quo warranto against Gandhi’s continuation as an MP from Raebareli.
The petitioners claimed that Gandhi was allegedly not an Indian citizen but a British national. A writ of quo warranto can be issued when a person is alleged to be holding a public office without meeting the required eligibility conditions. The court, however, found that the allegations were not backed by sufficient documents.
Petitioners Failed To Provide Key Documents
During the hearing, Singh alleged that Gandhi had incorporated UK-based Backops Limited in 2003. He claimed Gandhi had declared himself the company’s director, major shareholder and a British national.
However, when asked to substantiate the allegations, Singh could not produce documents linked to the company’s incorporation. He also failed to present British Registrar of Companies records or any declaration allegedly made by Gandhi claiming British citizenship.
The only document cited was an alleged Cambridge University letter concerning the studies of a person named “Raul Vinci”. The court observed that the document did not establish the allegations made in the petition.
Similar Citizenship Pleas Were Filed Earlier
The court was also informed that similar issues had been raised in 2015 and 2019. A coordinate bench had dismissed the 2015 petition and observed that any grievance over alleged loss of citizenship had to be raised before the central government under Section 9(2) of the Citizenship Act, 1955. In 2019, the petitioner was again given liberty to approach the Centre with a fresh representation.
Petition Withdrawn During Hearing
After failing to provide supporting documents, Singh sought permission to withdraw the latest petition. The bench allowed the request. The writ petition was therefore dismissed as withdrawn. The case is separate from another citizenship-related matter involving a Karnataka-based BJP worker who has made similar allegations against Gandhi.
(With ANI Inputs)
Sudeep Singh Rawat is a Copy Editor at NewsX Digital with over five years of experience in digital journalism. He covers national and international news, with a focus on politics, crime, technology, public affairs, and trending topics. Before joining NewsX Digital, he worked with Business Standard, The Sunday Guardian, and other digital media organisations. His reporting focuses on breaking news, enterprise stories, and explainers that inform readers through accurate, balanced, and context-driven journalism.
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