Citizenship row: Court seeks Sonia’s reply in voter list case, next hearing on May 16

NEW DELHI: A Delhi tribunal Saturday directed Congress parliamentary enactment chairperson Sonia Gandhi to record written submissions successful a transgression revision petition alleging fraudulent inclusion of her sanction successful electoral rolls anterior to acquiring Indian citizenship, listing the substance for May 16.

During the hearing, the counsel for the complainant concluded oral arguments and sought support to spot connected grounds definite documents received from the Election Commission of India (ECI). The tribunal allowed the petition and took the documents connected record. It was argued that the revision petition, moved by advocator Vikas Tripathi, does not question commencement of proceedings astatine this signifier but lone a absorption to the constabulary to analyse the allegations. The complainant’s counsel further contended that astatine the clip Sonia Gandhi’s sanction was allegedly included successful the elector list, she had not acquired Indian citizenship, raising suspicion that the inclusion whitethorn person been based connected forged oregon fraudulent documents. Opposing the plea, Sonia Gandhi submitted that the allegations are “politically motivated”, baseless, and founded connected incorrect and misleading facts. She argued that questions relating to citizenship autumn exclusively wrong the jurisdiction of the cardinal govt, portion disputes concerning electoral rolls prevarication wrong the authorization of the Election Commission.

She besides stated that nary credible documentary grounds has been produced to substantiate allegations of forgery oregon fraud, and described the proceedings arsenic an maltreatment of the ineligible process. Her counsel sought liberty to beforehand further submissions connected the adjacent day of hearing, which tribunal permitted, directing some sides to record written arguments wrong a week.

Earlier, a magistrate tribunal had dismissed the ailment seeking registration of an FIR, holding that judicial involution would beryllium barred nether Article 329 of the Constitution, which limits interference successful electoral matters, but done predetermination petitions. However, successful Dec 2025, a peculiar tribunal agreed to analyse the revision plea, and issued announcement to Sonia Gandhi and Delhi Police.