Reacting, Subramanian Swamy, who has in the past raised questions about his citizenship and qualification wrote on Twitter: “Buddhu has also filed income tax returns in UK during 2004-2006 as a British Citizen as Rahul Gandhi while MP in India!!!!!’ Buddhu citizen likely to be cancelled because he cannot deny his British citizenship now. His tax returns are damning. Ensure BJP Govt returns on May 23 rd”
Amethi Returning Officer Ram Manohar Mishra has ordered the postponement of scrutiny of Congress president Rahul Gandhi's nomination papers to April 22.
An Independent candidate, Dhruv Lal, has filed a complaint alleging discrepancies in Rahul's candidature.
Big relief for Rahul Gandhi, Amethi returning officer declares his nomination valid
"There are three basic issues we have raised," Ravi Prakash, who is Lal's lawyer, told ANI. One of the issues he has raised is on the "basis of a certificate of incorporation of a company registered in the UK wherein he has declared himself a UK citizen," Prakash alleged.
He said that under the Representation of People Act, a non-Indian citizen is barred from contesting elections in the country.
"On what basis has he become a British citizen? And, how did he obtain Indian citizenship now? Unless there is clarity over the matter, we have requested the Returning Officer not to accept Rahul Gandhi's nomination papers," Prakash said.
The lawyer alleged that there are no details mentioned in Rahul's election affidavit about the assets and properties of the UK company for the period between 2003 to 2009.
Reacting, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy, who has in the past raised questions about his citizenship and qualifications wrote on Twitter: “Buddhu has also filed income tax returns in UK during 2004-2006 as a British Citizen as Rahul Gandhi while MP in India!!!!!’ Buddhu citizen likely to be cancelled because he cannot deny his British citizenship now. His tax returns are damning. Ensure BJP Govt returns on May 23 rd”
Buddhu citizen likely to be cancelled because he cannot deny his British citizenship now. His tax returns are damning. Ensure BJP Govt returns on May 23 rd
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) April 20, 2019
Read: Was Rahul Gandhi a British citizen? BJP raises questions
He further added that in 1994, Rahul Gandhi was reportedly issued an extra passport by MEA.
I am again repeating in Twitter. In 1994 Buddhu was issued an extra passport by MEA at the bidding of the Home Ministry in the name of Raul Vinci despite it being illegal to do so.
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) April 20, 2019
Ravi Prakash, lawyer of independent MP candidate from Amethi, Dhruv Lal who has raised objections on Rahul Gandhi's nomination papers told news agency ANI: “ On basis of certificate of incorporation of a company registered in UK, he declared himself a UK citizen. A non-citizen can't contest polls here. There are no details on assets and profits of the company mentioned in the affidavit. There are a no. of mistakes in his educational qualification certificates. The original educational certificates should be presented so that his (Rahul Gandhi) claim can be established.”
Read: Swamy shares Rahul Gandhi's 'marksheet'
Ravi Prakash: There are no details on assets&profits of the company mentioned in the affidavit. There are a no. of mistakes in his educational qualification certificates. The original educational certificates should be presented so that his (Rahul Gandhi) claim can be established
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 20, 2019
1. BJP raises questions
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Citing a complaint filed against Rahul Gandhi, the BJP Saturday raised questions on the Congress president's citizenship and educational qualification, and asked him to come clean on the matter.
The BJP's reaction comes in the wake of the complaint filed with returning officer in Amethi seat against Gandhi's candidature in which allegations and objections have been made about his citizenship and qualification. The returning officer (RO) has fixed Monday as the next date of hearing on the matter. BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao told reporters it was "stunning" that Gandhi's lawyer sought time to reply to the objections. "These are serious allegations. Is
Rahul Gandhi an Indian citizen or not? Did he ever become a British citizen? He should come out with the real story," he said. There was no immediate reaction from the Congress. Election Commission sources said the returning officer is the final authority on such a matter, but he cannot check the veracity of whatever is written on an election affidavit. "If someone approaches an RO raising objections, he must hear the affected party. If anyone has any objection to whatever is recorded in an affidavit, the person should approach court. The EC has no role in any objection made to election affidavit," they said.
Rao claimed that a British company, in which Gandhi had said in 2004 that he made investment, in its submission to the authorities there stated that Gandhi was a British citizen. Referring to the complaint, the BJP spokesperson said there are "discrepancies and attempts to suppress facts" in Gandhi's affidavits filed during different elections from 2004 to 2014.
The Congress chief had said that he did M Phil in development economics from Cambridge University, but later claimed it was in development studies, Rao alleged.
The BJP spokesman said inquiries show that one Rahul Vincy and not Rahul Gandhi got the degree in that particular year. "We will like to know if Rahul Gandhi goes by multiple names in different countries," Rao said. He also wondered if the Gandhi scion's qualification was like Congress manifestoes that change every five years.
Read: Was Rahul Gandhi a British citizen? BJP raises questions
2. Rahul is British citizen: Swamy
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Recently at the DNA conclave organised by Zee News, Subramanian Swamy had claimed that Rahul Gandhi had four passports, one of them in the name of Raul Vinci. He had also claimed that ‘Raul Vinci’ didn’t get an MPhil Degree as he failed ‘the Economics paper’.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had also warned that a ‘public audit of Rahul Gandhi’s credentials may leave a lot to be answered’. Writing a blog titled India’s Opposition is on a “Rent a Cause” Campaign, he wrote: “One day the focus would be on the BJP candidate’s educational qualification, fully forgetting that a public audit of Rahul Gandhi’s academic credentials may leave a lot to be answered. Afterall, he got an M.Phil without a Masters degree.”
He was reacting to Congress raising questions about Smriti Irani’s degree.
Earlier, Subramanian Swamy posted a tweet claiming it was his Raul Vinci’s Cambridge certificate. He wrote: “Buddhu’s Cambridge Certificate says his name is Raul Vinci and he read MPhil and failed in National Economic Planning & Policy.”
3. Rahul vs Irani
The Congress president is pitted against BJP's Smriti Irani from Amethi in the current Lok Sabha elections. Smriti had lost from the seat in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Amethi, a traditional bastion of the Gandhi family, will go to polls on May 6. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.
