High Court Dismisses Petition Challenging Rahul Gandhi's Citizenship

The Allahabad High Court dismissed a PIL questioning Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha election on grounds of alleged British citizenship. The petitioner withdrew the plea, gaining liberty to approach authorities under the Citizenship Act, 1955. Gandhi is a five-time MP and current Leader of Opposition.

The Allahabad High Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that challenged the recent election of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to the Lok Sabha, alleging that he is a British citizen. The dismissal came after the petitioner, S Vignesh Shishir, sought to withdraw his plea.

The court's Lucknow bench, comprising Justices Rajan Roy and Om Prakash Shukla, stated in their order that the petition is dismissed as withdrawn, allowing the petitioner the liberty to approach the competent authority under Section 9(2) of the Citizenship Act, 1955, as permissible by law.

Shishir, a Karnataka farmer and political party member, had filed the PIL to challenge Gandhi's eligibility to contest elections in India, based on alleged British citizenship. Gandhi, the former Congress president, is a five-time MP, representing the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh, and is the current Leader of Opposition.