A Delhi court has turned down a petition that sought action against Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, claiming her name appeared on the electoral list several years before she had officially become an Indian citizen.
The case was heard by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Vaibhav Chaurasiya, who announced the order after considering the arguments presented and asking a set of questions to the complainant’s lawyer during the proceedings.
According to the petitioner’s counsel, Gandhi’s name figured in the 1980-81 voter rolls despite the fact that she had not yet acquired citizenship. They insisted that the very first requirement for being listed as a voter was Indian nationality, with residential details forming the next condition to be met.
Senior advocate Pavan Narang argued on behalf of the petitioner, stating, “In January 1980, she did not hold Indian citizenship. In that situation, how could her name appear in the electoral records?” He went on to say that her name was struck off the rolls in 1982 and entered again in 1983, once her citizenship was formally established.
During his submissions, Narang also made reference to a ruling delivered by the Allahabad High Court in 1985 in the case of Rakesh Singh versus Sonia Gandhi, which had recognized that the Congress leader became an Indian citizen on April 30, 1983.
