The BRICS TimesCourt Hearing on Petition Against Sonia Gandhi’s Name in Electoral Roll Prior to Citizenship
A Delhi court has reserved its verdict on a petition seeking the registration of an FIR against Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. The plea alleges that Gandhi managed to get her name entered in the 1980 voter list of New Delhi constituency before obtaining Indian citizenship in 1983. The petitioner further claims that she used fabricated documents to secure the entry.
On Wednesday, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vaibhav Chaurasia of Rouse Avenue Court heard arguments presented in the petition filed by Vikas Tripathi. The plea sought criminal proceedings against Sonia Gandhi, citing irregularities related to her inclusion in the electoral roll before she officially became an Indian citizen.
Senior advocate Pawan Narang, representing the petitioner, emphasized that registering as a voter requires proof of Indian citizenship. He stated, “First, you need to ensure that you are a citizen of India… this is the first threshold. Once you are recognized as a citizen, then comes the second requirement of proving residence if you want to be a voter.”
During the arguments, Narang highlighted that although today documents like Aadhaar and PAN are considered valid, back in 1980 only ration cards or passports were acceptable. He pointed out that Sonia Gandhi’s name was later removed from the 1982 voter list. “What was the reason for deleting her name in 1982? The Election Commission must have found something that led to its removal. At that time, only two names were deleted — one was Sanjay Gandhi’s, who passed away in 1981, and the other was hers,” Narang argued.
He further said, “She was still living at the same place. Why was her name removed then? Because it was realized that false documents were prepared and submitted. That created an uproar, and therefore, the best course of action was to strike her name off.”
The petitioner has alleged that Sonia Gandhi’s name was first added to the voter list in 1980, then removed in 1982, and again re-entered in 1983 after she was granted Indian citizenship. He accused her of using forged documents to be listed as a voter before citizenship. Despite these serious allegations, no representative appeared in court on Sonia Gandhi’s behalf during the proceedings.
After listening to the petitioner’s arguments, the court reserved its decision on the matter. The final judgment will determine whether the case proceeds further.
Akshay Didwaniya
