The notice to Rahul Gandhi comes amid the hectic electioneering for the Lok Sabha polls.
The Congress on Tuesday termed Ministry of Home Affairs’ notice to its president Rahul Gandhi over his citizenship as a “fake narrative” to divert people’s attention from other important issues.
“The entire world knows Rahul Gandhi is an Indian citizen by birth. Modi ji has no answer for unemployment; Modi ji has no answer for agrarian distress and black money. That's why he's resorting to fake narrative through his government's notices to divert attention,” party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
The MHA also asked Rahul Gandhi to clarify his nationality within a fortnight after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Subramanian Swamy alleged that he was a British national.
The MHA, in a letter dated April 29, said that Rahul Gandhi has declared his nationality as 'British' in an annual return filed by an English company named Backops Ltd.
The ministry sought the Congress president's response over the issue within 14 days.
"You are requested to intimate the factual position in the matter to this Ministry within a fortnight of the receipt of this communication," the letter read.
Swamy, in his letter, had alleged that Rahul Gandhi served as one of the Directors and Secretary of the British firm Backops Ltd, which is registered in the UK since 2003, with address 51 Southgate Street, Winchester, Hampshire.
"It has been further brought out in the complaint that in the company's annual returns filed on October 10, 2005 and October 31, 2006, your (Rahul Gandhi) date of birth has been given as June 19, 1970 and that you had declared your nationality as British," the letter wrote.
The letter also stated that in the dissolution application dated February 17, 2009 of the British firm, Rahul Gandhi's nationality has been mentioned as British.
Meanwhile, Swamy was happily surprised at the development. He took to Twitter and said, “Has MHA issued Notice on my Complaint to Buddhu on his British Citizenship today?”
The BJP had earlier raised the issue in April, citing the British company's document to allege that Rahul Gandhi was a British national.
