Allahabad High Court Dismisses Plea Challenging Rahul Gandhi’s Citizenship, Advises Petitioner to Seek Other Legal Avenues
The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Monday disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that questioned the Indian citizenship of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, stating that the petitioner is at liberty to pursue alternative legal remedies if he so chooses.
The decision was delivered by a bench comprising Justices AR Masoodi and Rajiv Singh, who observed that since the Central Government has not provided any specific timeline for addressing the complaint submitted by the petitioner, there is no valid reason to continue holding the matter in abeyance before the court.
Background of the Petition
The PIL was filed by S Vignesh Shishir, a political worker associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from Karnataka. In his plea, Shishir contended that he had obtained certain documents and emails purportedly issued by British authorities that, according to him, substantiate the claim that Rahul Gandhi holds British citizenship.
He argued that such a citizenship status would make Gandhi ineligible to contest elections in India or to serve as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the Lok Sabha.
The petitioner also alleged that despite sending multiple representations and complaints to the appropriate authorities, he had not received any substantive response or action from the concerned government bodies.
According to him, his complaints were sent twice to the competent authority, but they were seemingly ignored, which prompted him to approach the judiciary.
Court Proceedings and Government Response
During the previous hearing held on April 21, the bench was informed that the Government of India had acted upon the petitioner’s complaint by initiating communication with the United Kingdom Government, seeking official clarification or evidence regarding Rahul Gandhi’s alleged British citizenship.
Taking note of this, the court had provided the Central Government a final opportunity to respond, directing it to submit by May 5 the outcome of the petitioner’s representation—particularly in relation to the cancellation of Gandhi’s candidacy in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The representation in question sought the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from contesting elections on the grounds of alleged dual nationality.
However, when the matter came up for hearing on May 6, the government was unable to provide a specific timeline by which it expected to resolve the issue or furnish a conclusive response to the petitioner’s concerns.
This indecisiveness led the court to conclude that there was no further justification for continuing with the hearing of the case. Consequently, the bench disposed of the PIL and advised the petitioner to pursue any other legal remedies that may be available to him under the law.
Earlier Developments in the Case
Back on November 25, during an earlier hearing, the Allahabad High Court had directed the Central Government to provide information regarding the status of the petitioner’s representation.
At that time, Deputy Solicitor General SB Pandey, representing the Union Government, had informed the court that the matter was being taken seriously and that the Ministry concerned had initiated official correspondence with the UK government. He stated that further time would be needed to receive a response and evaluate the matter comprehensively.
Current Status
With the latest decision, the High Court has effectively closed its involvement in the matter, making it clear that the judiciary will not continue to hear the PIL unless there is more conclusive evidence or substantial action by the concerned authorities.
The case, which has drawn attention due to its political implications, especially with Rahul Gandhi being the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, now rests in the hands of administrative and legal bodies outside the court system, should the petitioner decide to take the matter further through alternate channels.
