NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday was informed that the CBI has initiated an inquiry on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed in the Allahabad High Court against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s alleged British citizenship.
This update was presented by Vignesh Shishir, a BJP member from Karnataka, who had filed the PIL in Allahabad, during a virtual appearance before a division bench of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela.
The bench was hearing a related PIL submitted by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, who requested a directive for the Centre to submit a status report on his prior complaint against Gandhi. Swamy alleged that Gandhi, while being an Indian citizen, may have violated Article 9 of the Indian Constitution by allegedly holding British citizenship.
During the hearing, Shishir claimed he had provided the CBI with confidential evidence concerning the matter, stating that his PIL in Allahabad was at an advanced stage, leading to a “multiplicity of proceedings” over similar issues.
He requested the High Court to allow time to present relevant documents reflecting the progress in his PIL before the Allahabad High Court. The bench, in turn, instructed Shishir to file an affidavit within two weeks, along with an application for impleadment.