Allahabad HC grants more time to centre on Rahul Gandhi’s citizenship plea

A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Jaspreet Singh, passed the order on a petition filed by advocate and Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader S Vignesh Shishir.

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Thursday extended the deadline for the central government to respond to a plea regarding Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s alleged British citizenship. The court directed that the matter be listed for further hearing on March 24, 2025.

The court directed that the matter be listed for further hearing on March 24, 2025. (Sourced)

In its earlier order, issued on November 25, 2024, the court had directed the central government to provide details of any action taken on a representation filed with the Union home ministry, which alleged that Gandhi holds British citizenship.

However, the government was unable to submit the required response within the stipulated time, and its counsel requested additional time. The court granted the extension, allowing the response to be filed by March 24, 2025, as confirmed by Ashok Pandey, an intervener counsel in the case.

A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Jaspreet Singh, passed the order on a petition filed by advocate and Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader S Vignesh Shishir, seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into Gandhi’s citizenship issue.

Previously, in July 2024, the court had allowed Shishir to withdraw a similar petition and gave him the option to pursue legal remedies under the Citizenship Act. Shishir subsequently submitted two representations to the Union home ministry, requesting the cancellation of Gandhi’s Indian citizenship based on his alleged British citizenship.