Responding to the Ministry of Home Affairs notice to Congress President Rahul Gandhi over his citizenship, Priyanka Gandhi said, “The whole of India knows that Rahul Gandhi is an Indian. People have seen him being born and grow up in India. Kya bakwaas hai yeh (What rubbish is this?)
"The notice [comes] out of fear that they might be losing,” she added, reported NDTV.
MHA has sent a notice to Gandhi after receiving a complaint from Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy, reported news agency ANI, on Tuesday, 30 April.
The ministry has asked Rahul Gandhi to “intimate the factual position in the matter” within a fortnight.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, on Tuesday, said that Gandhi had chosen to become a UK citizen, but probably wanted to remain Indian by compulsion.
“Rahul Gandhi chooses to become UK citizen, but probably remains Indian by compulsion because he is a Lok Sabha MP and does politics in the name of family. So, he is Indian by compulsion and presents himself as British by choice," Patra said, reported ANI.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also slammed the move, terming it as the government’s efforts to “divert attention” from pressing issues.
“The entire world knows Rahul Gandhi is Indian citizen by birth. Modi ji has no answer for unemployment, Modi ji has no answer for agrarian distress and black money, that’s why he’s resorting to fake narrative through his govt’s notices to divert attention,” ANI quoted him as saying.
The MHA Letter
The letter sent by MHA, now in public, says that Swamy filed a complaint suggesting that a UK-based company, Backops Limited, is registered with Gandhi named as one of its directors.
The complaint states that in two of the company's annual returns, Gandhi has declared his nationality as British.
"You are requested to intimate the factual position in the matter to this ministry within a fortnight of the receipt of the communication," the letter states.
The Home Ministry also stated that Swamy's letter alleges that in the British company's annual returns filed on 10 October, 2005 and 31 October, 2006, Gandhi's date of birth has been shown as 19 June, 1970, and his nationality as British.
Patra added, “We have registration papers, dissolution and annual returns of Backops Limited. Rahul Gandhi is the director, promoter and secretary. In annual returns of the company filed on 10 October 2005, Rahul was a shareholder of 65 percent. He has presented himself as British in registration papers, dissolution papers and annual returns”, reported ANI.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh termed the development as “normal process.”
“When a member of Parliament writes to any ministry, action required on their query is taken. It is not a big development, it is normal process,” he told news agency ANI.
Asked specifically if the timing of the letter raising question on the citizenship of the country's primary opposition leader was relevant as it comes in the election season, Singh replied, "No, no. This question was raised in Parliament also. A Member of Parliament (Dr Subramanian Swamy) has written to the ministry several times as well, following which the action has been taken”, reported PTI.
On 22 April, Union Minister for Minority Affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi had also taken a jibe at Gandhi, saying it was a "very serious question" for the president of a party. "You should be a citizen of India if you want to vote or fight the election," said the Union Minister, reported ANI.
Swamy has long been demanding that Gandhi be stripped of Indian citizenship as well as his parliamentary seat and had complained to the ethics committee of parliament in 2015 as well, reported NDTV.
A petition questioning the Indian citizenship of Rahul Gandhi, was also filed by a lawyer, Manohar Lal Sharma in Supreme Court in 2015. After hearing the matter, the SC had dismissed Sharma’s petition.
Here, is the court’s order in that case:
(With inputs from ANI, PTI and NDTV.)
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