Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Subramanian Swamy escalated his long-standing campaign against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by threatening legal action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Swamy accuses Modi and Shah of allegedly shielding Gandhi despite his purported British citizenship.
In a provocative post on X (formerly Twitter), Swamy challenged the leaders’ inaction, writing, “Why is Modi and Shah protecting Rahul Gandhi when he is a foreign citizen having acquired British Citizenship in 2003, and started a company called BackOps in London? His Indian citizenship is invalid. If Modi continues to protect, I will have to file a case against him (Modi and Shah).”
Swamy has long claimed that Rahul Gandhi acquired British citizenship in 2003 and founded BackOps in London, which he argues invalidates Gandhi’s Indian citizenship. Swamy attached a copy of the complaint he filed with the Ministry of External Affairs in 2019, which prompted the Centre to issue a notice to Gandhi seeking his response.
Adding fuel to the fire, Swamy shared what he claimed was an annual return document of Gandhi filed with the British Government. This is part of Swamy’s ongoing efforts to have Gandhi’s Indian citizenship revoked, a campaign he has been spearheading since 2015.
However, Swamy’s allegations have faced legal hurdles. In 2015, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition challenging Gandhi’s citizenship, deeming it “too frivolous and an attempt to start a roving inquiry.” A similar petition filed in May 2019 was also rejected, with the court questioning whether a company’s reference to a person’s nationality could determine their citizenship status.
Swamy’s renewed threats of legal action against the top leaders underscore the continuing political friction surrounding Gandhi’s citizenship and his status in Indian politics.