Citizenship Crossfire

The saga of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s citizenship has resurfaced with renewed vigour, as the Allahabad High Court ordered the Ministry of Home Affairs to decide on his nationality by December 19. The petitioner, a Karnataka BJP worker, alleges that Gandhi holds British citizenship—a claim previously made by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy.

If proven true, this would not only undermine Gandhi’s rhetoric of the Congress being the only party to take care of the interests of India’s indigenous and backward communities but also expose the contradictions at the heart of his identity-driven politics—a strategy that has fared poorly in recent elections, most notably in Maharashtra.

Gandhi has often portrayed himself as a champion of Indian democracy and an unflinching voice against what he calls the ‘divisive’ politics of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The allegations of dual citizenship strike at the credibility of this narrative. The petitioner claims to have evidence from the UK government indicating Gandhi’s inclusion in British citizenship records, though data privacy laws have prevented full disclosure. The BJP, seizing the opportunity, has amplified these claims to question Gandhi’s authenticity as a representative of Indian values.

The controversy brings to mind a similar episode involving Sonia Gandhi, Rahul’s mother, whose Italian roots were a flashpoint during her political rise within the Congress itself. In 1999, then Congressman Sharad Pawar had famously questioned her foreign origins, leading to his departure from the Congress and the formation of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Ironically, it was Sonia’s foreign background that spurred Rahul’s frequent invocations of his Indian lineage, an attempt to cement his credentials in the public imagination.

Gandhi’s troubles come at a time when Congress is struggling to remain relevant in key states like Maharashtra. The party’s dismal performance in the recent polls underscored its inability to connect with voters, many of whom view its leadership as out of touch.

All this has not stopped Gandhi from relaunching his diatribes against Hindutva ideologue and freedom fighter Veer Savarkar, who is revered not just by the BJP but legions of people in Maharashtra and elsewhere. Such rhetoric further reinforces the BJP’s narrative of Gandhi being a ‘foreigner’ while underscoring his brand of opportunistic politics, disconnected from grassroots sentiments. The broader implications of the citizenship controversy are significant. A foreign citizenship would not only disqualify Gandhi from Parliament but also cast a long shadow over his family’s political legacy. It would lend credence to BJP’s portrayal of the Congress as a party led by outsiders, further eroding its standing.

As the Ministry of Home Affairs prepares its decision, Rahul Gandhi’s citizenship controversy episode underscores the Congress’s existential crisis. Once a party of towering leaders who shaped India’s destiny, it must now ask itself whether its current leaders have the roots—or the authenticity—to reclaim it.