Allahabad HC Dismisses Citizenship Challenge Against Rahul Gandhi for Lack of Proof

The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court has dismissed a writ petition that questioned the citizenship and Lok Sabha membership of Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition. The petitioner, who appeared in person, failed to provide any documentary evidence to support his claim that Mr. Gandhi holds British nationality.

The division bench, comprising Justice Shekhar B. Saraf and Justice Abdhesh Kumar Chaudhary, permitted the petitioner, Ashok Pandey, to withdraw the case on August 31.

The petition alleged that Mr. Gandhi had incorporated a UK-based company, M/s Backops Limited, in 2003, and had declared himself as its director, a major shareholder, and a British national in related filings.

While the court acknowledged that the petitioner's initial arguments appeared "very attractive" and could have "far-reaching consequences," it noted that he could not produce a single document to substantiate these claims when asked to do so. This included any records from the UK's Registrar of Companies or a declaration of British citizenship.

The only document presented was an alleged letter from the University of Cambridge regarding a 'Raul Vinci,' which the court stated did not prove any of the allegations in the petition.

The bench also observed that similar petitions challenging Mr. Gandhi's citizenship have been filed since 2015. It noted that previous coordinate benches have held that questions regarding the termination of Indian citizenship under Section 9(2) of the Citizenship Act, 1955, fall within the jurisdiction of the Central Government.