Electoral Roll Controversy: Sonia Gandhi's Citizenship Challenge

A Delhi court granted Sonia Gandhi until February 7 to respond to a plea challenging her inclusion in electoral rolls before acquiring Indian citizenship. The magistrate had previously dismissed the complaint, citing legal deficiencies. The plea alleges Gandhi was added as a voter before becoming a citizen.

A Delhi court has allotted Congress leader Sonia Gandhi until February 7 to submit her response concerning allegations of her premature inclusion in the electoral rolls prior to receiving Indian citizenship in 1983. The plea challenges a previous magistrate's decision not to investigate the matter.

The controversy stems from a complaint by advocate Vikas Tripathi, who claimed Gandhi's name appeared in the New Delhi constituency voter list in January 1980, while she was still a foreign national. The plea accuses possible forgery and suggests that a public authority was misled.

The magistrate initially dismissed the complaint, describing it as legally insufficient and outside the court's jurisdiction. The court criticized the case as a misuse of legal processes, presented with insufficient evidence to genuinely constitute charges of forgery or voter fraud.

(With inputs from agencies.)