A Delhi court has dismissed a petition seeking criminal proceedings against senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi over allegations that her name was added to the electoral rolls before she acquired Indian citizenship.
The ruling by the Rouse Avenue Court delivered today rejected claims that the former Congress president was registered as a voter in 1980 -- three years before she was formally granted Indian citizenship.
The complaint sought the registration of an FIR against Sonia Gandhi, alleging violations of electoral law. According to the petition, her name appeared on the voters' list at the official residence of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as early as January 1980.
The petition claimed that Sonia Gandhi was included in the electoral rolls with effect from January 1, 1980, despite not being an Indian citizen until April 1983.
Last month, the BJP's Amit Malviya posted excerpts of what he claimed were electoral roll forms from 1980. He alleged that Sonia Gandhi's name was added alongside members of the Gandhi family -- Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi and Maneka Gandhi -- during the revision of rolls that year.
"Her name first appeared on the rolls in 1980 - three years before she became an Indian citizen and while she still held Italian citizenship," Mr Malviya wrote on X.
Mr Malviya further claimed that following public criticism in 1982, Sonia Gandhi's name was deleted from the voters' list, only to reappear in 1983. He argued that the reinstatement itself was questionable, since the qualifying date for that year's revision was January 1, 1983, while Sonia Gandhi was granted citizenship only on April 30, 1983.
"We are not even asking why it took her 15 years after marrying Rajiv Gandhi to accept Indian citizenship. If this isn't blatant electoral malpractice, what is?" Mr Malviya said.
The renewed focus on Sonia Gandhi's voter registration comes as the BJP faces opposition accusations of "vote chori" or vote theft against the government and the Election Commission.
The Congress party rejected the allegations, accusing the BJP of politicising voter registration processes and attempting to discredit opposition leaders without evidence.
