Allahabad: The Allahabad High Court on Monday has sought an update from the Union Home Ministry regarding a complaint alleging Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's British citizenship. The complaint was submitted by S Vignesh Shishir, a BJP member from Karnataka, as part of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter.  

During the hearing, a bench comprising Justice Attau Rahman Masoodi and Justice Subhash Vidyarthi was informed by Deputy Solicitor General of India, Surya Bhan Pandey, that the ministry has received Vignesh's representation and is processing it. The court has scheduled the next hearing for December 19.  

Citizenship complaint filed under legal provisions  

Vignesh’s complaint, submitted to the Foreigners Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs, requests the cancellation of Rahul Gandhi's Indian citizenship. It cites provisions under Section 9(2) of the Citizenship Act, 1955, along with Rule 40(2) and Schedule III of the Citizenship Rules, 2009.  

Section 40 of the Citizenship Rules empowers the central government to assess if an Indian citizen has obtained citizenship of another country.  

Previous PIL withdrawn

This is not Vignesh’s first attempt to address this issue through the courts. An earlier PIL he filed was dismissed, but he was granted the liberty to approach the competent authority under Section 9(2) of the Citizenship Act. Following this dismissal, Vignesh filed a detailed representation with the ministry, which remains pending.  

Allegations of UK citizenship  

Vignesh claims to have conducted a thorough inquiry into Rahul Gandhi’s alleged British citizenship. According to his PIL, he obtained confidential emails from the UK government through another individual, VSS Sarma. These emails reportedly indicate that the UK government holds records of Gandhi’s British nationality but cannot release them without authorization from Gandhi himself.  

The petition argues that this email acknowledgment is evidence of Gandhi’s alleged foreign citizenship. Vignesh has requested a detailed CBI probe and a Letter of Rogatory from an Indian court to gather official records from the UK government.  

Plea to cancel electoral certificate  

The PIL also seeks directives for the Chief Election Commissioner, the Chief Electoral Officer of Uttar Pradesh, and the Returning Officer of Raebareli to cancel Rahul Gandhi's electoral certificate.  

Related case in Delhi HC  

Separately, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has also filed a similar petition in the Delhi High Court concerning Gandhi's citizenship. Vignesh recently appeared in this case, claiming that the CBI had initiated an investigation based on his earlier PIL in the Allahabad High Court.  

The case continues to generate political and legal debate, with the next hearing in the Allahabad High Court set for December.