NEW DELHI/LUCKNOW, April 30 - In a move that comes in the middle of the Lok Sabha polls, the Centre issued a notice to Congress president Rahul Gandhi seeking the �factual position� of his citizenship within a fortnight following a complaint by a BJP MP, setting off a political row.
The notice by the Union Home Ministry on Monday on the complaint from Subramanian Swamy alleging that Rahul Gandhi was a British national was dismissed as �rubbish� by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra while her party said the entire world knows the Congress chief is an Indian citizen by birth.
Congress� chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party of manufacturing �one malicious and fallacious agenda� everyday. The BJP on its part posed a question asking which is real � �Rahul Gandhi London-wale or Lutyens-wale�.
A Home Ministry official said Swamy had first sent a complaint on Rahul Gandhi�s citizenship issue in September 2017 and wrote a reminder recently. As a row erupted, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the notice is a normal process and �not a big development� and that the timing of the communication is not relevant.
In Amethi, asked by newsmen for her comments on the ministry notice, Priyanka Gandhi said, �I have never heard such rubbish. All know Rahul Gandhi was born and raised here.� Asked about the intention behind the notice, she remarked, �I have not heard anything like this, it seems it is out of fear that they (BJP) might be losing.�
Citing Swamy�s letter, the Home Ministry said it has been brought to notice that a company named Backops Limited was registered in the United Kingdom in 2003 with Rahul Gandhi as one of its directors. � PTI
