Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy has approached the Delhi High Court, requesting the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to cancel the Indian citizenship of Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. Swamy's petition, filed on Friday, centers on allegations that Gandhi held British nationality while serving as a director for Backops Limited, a company registered in the United Kingdom in 2003.
Swamy claims that official records from the firm indicate Gandhi declared himself as British in annual returns filed in 2005 and 2006. The dissolution application for Backops Limited in 2009 also reportedly listed Gandhi's nationality as British.
Swamy argues that these actions contravene Article 9 of the Indian Constitution and the Indian Citizenship Act, 1955. Despite a letter from the MHA in April 2019 requesting Gandhi to clarify his position, Swamy notes that there has been no resolution or update from the ministry.
Rahul Gandhi has served as a Member of Parliament for five terms, representing Amethi until 2019 and subsequently Wayanad in Kerala. He currently holds the position of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, with the Congress party being a key member of the INDIA bloc.