NEW DELHI: Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Saturday told a Delhi court that a complaint alleging her inclusion in the electoral roll three years before acquiring Indian citizenship in 1983 was “politically motivated”, terming the proceedings a “judicial interference in the electoral process”.
Appearing before Special Judge Vishal Gogne, Gandhi’s counsel opposed a petition seeking review of a magisterial court order that had earlier refused to order a probe into the allegations. Her reply sought dismissal of the application, calling the claims “wholly misconceived, frivolous, politically motivated and an abuse of the process of law”.
Gandhi argued that the magisterial court had rightly held that issues of citizenship fall exclusively within the domain of the Central government, while disputes related to electoral rolls lie solely with the Election Commission. Criminal courts, she said, cannot usurp these functions by entertaining private complaints under IPC or BNS provisions.
She contended that judicial review was barred under Article 329 of the Constitution.The complaint, she added, merely recycled a controversy raised over 25 years ago. The court is likely to hear matter on February 21.