[dropcap]A [/dropcap] three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi, Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna today dismisses a public interest petition seeking the debarment of Congress President Rahul Gandhi from contesting the ongoing Lok Sabha elections on the ground that he holds citizenship of two countries.
“If some company in some form has mentioned he (Rahul Gandhi) is a British citizen, will he become a British citizen?” CJI Ranjan Gogoi remarked while rejecting the plea.
Background of the case
After a complaint was filed by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, the Ministry of Home Affairs had served notice to Congress President Rahul Gandhi asking him to clarify the “factual position” on his citizenship.
Meanwhile, Hindu Mahasabha moved the Supreme Court seeking debarment of Rahul Gandhi from contesting the Lok Sabha elections alleging that he had acquired British citizenship.
In 2015, a bench comprising Chief Justice of India H L Dattu and Justice Amitava Roy had dismissed a similar public interest petition filed by advocate M L Sharma questioning Rahul Gandhi’s citizenship.
“I have two more days in office, don’t force me to impose exemplary costs on you,” Justice Dattu had remarked at that time.
