GOI Asks Congress President Rahul Gandhi to Clarify His Citizenship Status
MINISTRY of Home Affairs on April 30, Tuesday, issued a notice to INC President Rahul Gandhi seeking clarification on his citizenship status on a complaint filed by the Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy. The MHA has requested Rahul Gandhi to “intimate factual position on the matter” within 15 days In the complaint lodged by Dr Swamy, a former academician and Union Minister, has alleged a passport was issued to him in the name of Raul Vinci for going abroad for studies and he enrolled in the college in the same name.MHA has said “It has been brought out that a Company named Backops Limited was registered in the UK in the year 2003, with address 51 Southgate Street, Winchester, Hampshire S023 9EH and Rahul Gandhi was one of the Directors and Secretary of the said company.”In an event, Subramanian Swamy had recently claimed that Rahul Gandhi was in possession of four passports, one in the name of Raul Vinci, and that he is a Christian. Vinci is an Italian surname.
Rahul Gandhi’s nomination papers for contesting Lok Sabha election from Wayanad in Kerala and Amethi in Uttar Pradesh were accepted by the Election Commission days after Tushar Vellappally, NDA candidate for Wayanad and a candidate for Amethi raised questioned on his citizenship and other alleged discrepancies in his nomination affidavits. Ram Manohar Mishra, returning officer in Amethi (Lok Sabha seat where Rahul Gandhi is contesting from) had ordered postponement in the scrutiny of Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s nomination papers to April 22.An Independent candidate, Dhruv Lal, had filed a complaint alleging discrepancies in Rahul Gandhi’s candidature.”There are three basic issues we have raised,” Ravi Prakash, who is Dhruv Lal’s lawyer, told ANI. One of the issues he raised is on the “basis of a certificate of incorporation of a company registered in the UK wherein Rahul Gandhi has declared himself to be a UK citizen,” Prakash alleged. Ravi Prakash said that under the Representation of People Act, a non-Indian citizen is barred from contesting elections in the country.”On what basis has he become a British citizen? And, how did he obtain Indian citizenship now? Unless there is clarity over the matter, we have requested the returning officer not to accept Rahul Gandhi’s nomination papers,” Prakash said. However, The Election Commission of India had Okayed his affidavits for Wayanad and Amethi. Reacting to the MHA notice, INC Chief Spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala said it is a conspiracy hatched by BJP as it is being routed in the Lok Sabha elections.
