Lawyer challenges Sonia?s nomination from Rae Bareli

A COMPLAINT letter has been forwarded to the Chief Election Commission of India, challenging the validity of the nomination papers of Congress president Sonia Gandhi from Rae Bareli parliamentary constituency.

A COMPLAINT letter has been forwarded to the Chief Election Commission of India, challenging the validity of the nomination papers of Congress president Sonia Gandhi from Rae Bareli parliamentary constituency.

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The letter has been forwarded by a practising lawyer of local Civil Court, Santosh Kumar Srivastava. He alleged that according to Article 102 (1) (D) of Constitution of India, 1950 — A person shall be disqualified for being chosen as, and for being, a member of either house of Parliament if he/she is not a citizen of India, or has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of a foreign State, or is under any acknowledgment of allegiance or adherence to a foreign State.

“As per the affidavit of financial declaration submitted by Sonia Gandhi along with her nomination on April 17, 2006, at Rae Bareli (which is also widely reported in print and electronic media), she has declared her ancestral house in Italy worth Rs 13 lakh which is positive as well as affirmative acknowledgment of her allegiance or adherence to a foreign State, according to Article 102 (1) (D) of Constitution of India, 1950,” he said.

Srivastava said that Sonia Gandhi was violating the constitution, therefore, her nomination papers should be declared invalid.

He further added that besides Chief Election Commission of India, the complaint letters were also forwarded to State Election Commission of UP, Returning Officer/District Election Officer of Rae Bareli.