New Delhi, Apr 18:
The Allahabad High Court has directed Uttar Pradesh Police to conduct an inquiry and consider filing an FIR into a matter related to the alleged dual citizenship of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, a lawyer said on Friday.
Justice Subhash Vidyarthi gave the order on a petition filed by Karnataka resident S. Vignesh Shishir, a BJP worker, challenging a January 28 order of a special MP/MLA court in Lucknow, which had rejected his plea seeking registration of an FIR against the Congress leader.
The High Court’s Lucknow Bench said the allegation that Rahul Gandhi holds dual citizenship warrants an inquiry. The petitioner moved the High Court against the lower court’s decision that it was not competent to decide issues relating to dual citizenship, and challenged his eligibility to continue as a member of Parliament from Rae Bareli.
Shishir has sought registration of an FIR and a detailed probe, levelling allegations under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Official Secrets Act, the Foreigners Act and the Passport Act. The petitioner claimed that he has documents and some emails from the British government that prove that Rahul Gandhi is a British citizen, and that, as a result, he is ineligible to contest elections in India and cannot hold the post of a Lok Sabha member.