Does the Row Over Rahul Gandhi’s Citizenship Come at an Odd Time?

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 was sent on Tuesday, 30 April, on the complaint from Subramanian Swamy alleging that Rahul Gandhi was a British national.

A Home Ministry official also said Swamy had first sent a complaint on Rahul Gandhi's citizenship issue in September 2017 and wrote a reminder recently.

Meanwhile, Congress leaders such as Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Randeep Surjewala accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP of manufacturing “one malicious and fallacious agenda” everyday.

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.

Speaking on the matter, BloombergQuint’s Tamanna Inamdar spoke to BJP spokesperson, Nalin Kohli and Congress spokesperson, Pallavi Sharma on her show Primetime Debate.

Initiating the discussion, Kohli said when an MP raises a concern with the government, a notice has to go out. He further said that all the claims made by Swamy are in public domain, therefore, if there is any discrepancy, the Congress chief himself should clarify.

“Rahul Gandhi is choosing silence. I have not come across any statements made by him saying this is false... and these documents are fabricated.”

Nalin Kohli

Responding to Kohli's claim, Sharma said that "frivolous issues" are being raised by BJP despite the Supreme Court quashing the matter. She also said that the letter referred by Swamy bears Gandhi's name, however, denoting his citizenship as “Indian.”

Sharma added that at the time of filing nomination, the Election Commission carefully examines the citizenship of a candidate, therefore, this claim by BJP merits no investigation.