Grill Rahul on UK Citizenship, Dr.Subramanian Swami urges LS Speaker, Hon'ble Sumitra Mahajan

Stepping up his attack on Rahul Gandhi, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Tuesday approached Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to seek an explanation from the Congress vice-president and Lok Sabha member for declaring himself a British citizen in a company floated by him in London. 

The BJP, on its part, said Rahul should clarify as the documents on his British nationality were legally valid ones.  BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi said the party was seeking an explanation as the issue pertains to Rahul’s nationality and it was now in public domain.

Meeting the Speaker in the evening with documents of Rahul’s company Backops Ltd, Swamy urged Mahajan to seek a clarification from the Congress vice-president and refer the matter to the Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha for a detailed probe, if she felt a prima facie case still remains.

In his written complaint to the Speaker, Swamy pointed out that Rahul, as the company secretary of Blackops Ltd, had declared himself a British citizen in the company’s annual returns of 2005 and 2006.

He maintained the same citizenship status in the documents for dissolving the firm in 2009, Swamy said adding the Congress VP had also mentioned in all the documents (2005-2009) that he was living in London. Rahul was elected as an MP from Amethi in 2004.

Swamy said all these documents prima facie establish that Rahul holds British citizenship and violated Article 9 of the Indian Constitution. “Rahul failed to disclose, as required under Indian law, the setting up of a commercial company abroad, assuming that he is still a citizen of India and has not taken any other citizenship as the Congress Party claims,” said Swamy.

“In view of the above, at the very minimum Rahul Gandhi as Lok Sabha MP has violated the ethics code to be observed by Members of Parliament and therefore you may call for an explanation from him on the issues arising from the facts mentioned in the enclosed authenticated documents.

“And, if following his explanation, you feel a prima facie case still remains, you may refer this matter to the Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha to determine whether Rahul Gandhi can continue as a MP by virtue of the fact that not only is he guilty of gross violation of ethics but also that he is not a citizen of India, which is a mandatory requirement to be a MP. Hence that by a Resolution of the House, the Amethi Lok Sabha seat be declared vacant, and thus communicated to the Election Commission, said Swamy in his complaint to the Lok Sabha Speaker.