A Delhi court on Tuesday granted time to Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi's legal team to file a formal reply in a case that questions her inclusion in the electoral rolls decades ago. The matter has been listed for its next hearing on February 7.
Court Proceedings and Allegations
The hearing took place before the Rouse Avenue Court, where senior counsel representing Sonia Gandhi requested additional time to prepare their response. The court had earlier issued notices to Sonia Gandhi and the Delhi Police last month based on a revision petition filed by advocate Vikas Tripathi.
Tripathi's petition challenges a lower court's dismissal of his complaint seeking an FIR. He alleges that Sonia Gandhi's name was included in the voter list for 1980–81, a period before she formally acquired Indian citizenship. His counsel argued that there were serious irregularities, claiming her name was first entered in 1980, later deleted, and then re-entered in 1983 based on an application filed in January of that year.
Lower Court's Earlier Decision and Legal Stand
The revision petition targets the order of an additional chief judicial magistrate who had rejected Tripathi's complaint at the threshold. The magistrate had held that the complaint was based solely on uncertified photocopies of old electoral records and lacked legal merit.
Furthermore, the court had observed that matters concerning citizenship and electoral rolls fall under the jurisdiction of the central government and the Election Commission of India. It stated that such issues cannot be adjudicated through a criminal complaint mechanism.
Political Reaction and Defense
The allegations have been strongly dismissed by the Congress party. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra defended her mother, calling the claims false. She asserted that Sonia Gandhi voted only after becoming an Indian citizen.
"Do they have any evidence? This is an absolute lie. She voted only after she became a citizen (of India). I don't know why they are after her, even though she is about to turn 80. She has dedicated her whole life to serving the nation. She should be spared at her age now," Priyanka Gandhi stated.
The legal panel for Sonia Gandhi has cited that the electoral records in question are several decades old. With the court now scheduling the next hearing for February 7, all parties are expected to present their detailed submissions before Sessions Judge Gogne.
