HC disposes of petition on Rahul Gandhi's Indian citizenship
Lucknow (PTI): The Allahabad High Court's Lucknow bench on Monday disposed of a petition questioning Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Indian citizenship and allowed the petitioner to explore other alternative legal remedies.
A bench of Justices AR Masoodi and Rajiv Singh said that as the central government is not able to give any time limit to resolve the petitioner's complaint, there is no justification to keep this petition pending.
The court told petitioner S Vignesh Shishir, a BJP worker from Karnataka, that he is free to adopt other alternative legal remedies.
In the PIL, Sishir had claimed that he has documents and some emails of the British government which prove that Rahul Gandhi is a British citizen, and due to this he is ineligible to contest elections in India and cannot hold the post of a Lok Sabha member.
In the previous hearing on April 21, the court was told that the Centre had written to the UK government seeking details about claims that Gandhi had British citizenship.
After the submission, the bench had granted time to the central government till May 5 to place before it the outcome of a representation moved by the petitioner against the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, seeking cancellation of his 2024 Lok Sabha election over claims that he had British citizenship.
Earlier, the petitioner had told the court that he sent complaints twice to the competent authority regarding Rahul'Gandhi's alleged dual citizenship, but no action was taken by them.
While hearing the PIL on November 25, the court sought information from the central government regarding its decision on the representation of the petitioner.
Deputy Solicitor General SB Pandey had informed the court that acting on the petitioner's representation, the ministry concerned had written to the UK Government seeking details about Gandhi's alleged British citizenship and hence the government needed more time to take a final decision on the petitioner's representation.
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Minister Parameshwara says remarks on properties linked to drug peddlers 'misunderstood'
Tumakuru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Saturday said his recent remarks on the demolition of properties linked to those involved in narcotics trade were "misunderstood and misinterpreted".
His clarification follows remarks made two days ago on the government's uncompromising crackdown on the drug menace, including action against properties linked to foreign nationals allegedly involved in drug trafficking.
"It is unfortunate. It is taken in the wrong sense. I didn't mean that tomorrow itself I am going to send bulldozers and demolish the houses. That was not my intention. It was wrongly taken," he told reporters here.
Responding to Congress MLC K Abdul Jabbar's question in the legislative council on the growing drug menace in Bengaluru, Davangere and coastal districts, the minister on Thursday detailed the extensive enforcement measures initiated since the Congress government assumed office.
Pointing to the involvement of some foreign nationals, the minister had said, "Many foreign students from African countries have come to Karnataka. They are into the drug business. We catch them and register cases against them, but they want the case to be registered because once the case is registered, we cannot deport them."
"We have gone to the extent of demolishing the rented building where they stay," he had said.
