TIL Desk/National/New Delhi/ Rahul Gandhi has been given a fortnight by the Home Ministry to explain his “factual position” over a complaint about his citizenship. The complaint is from BJP parliamentarian Subramanian Swamy, who has for years been alleging that the Congress president is a British citizen.
The home ministry notice comes bang in the middle of the seven-phase national election, in which Rahul Gandhi is contesting from the constituencies of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh and Wayanad in Kerala.
“I am directed to say that this ministry has received a representation from Dr Subramanian Swamy, in which it has been brought out that a company named Backops Limited was registered in the United Kingdom in the year 2003, with address 51 Southgate Street, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 9EH and that you were one of the directors and secretary of the said company,” says the letter from BC Joshi, Director, Citizenship, in the home ministry.
The letter also says: “It has been further brought out in the complaint that in the company’s annual returns filed on October 10, 2005 and 31 October, 2006, your date of birth has been given as June 19, 1970 and that you had declared your nationality as British.” It says the dissolution application of the company, dated February 17, 2009, also referred to Rahul Gandhi’s nationality as British.