A Delhi court has dismissed a plea demanding the registration of an FIR against Congress leader Sonia Gandhi over allegations that her name appeared in the 1980 voter list before she officially became an Indian citizen in 1983.
The Rouse Avenue Court rejected the complaint filed by a lawyer who claimed Gandhi’s name was added to the Delhi electoral roll in 1980 and deleted in 1982, despite her acquiring Indian citizenship only on April 30, 1983. The petitioner argued this warranted a police investigation under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which prohibits non-citizens from being included in voter rolls.
The plea also sought directions to the police to probe the matter. However, the court declined to order an FIR, ruling that the allegations did not merit further action.
The issue resurfaced as the BJP recently accused Sonia Gandhi of being listed as a voter three years before she became an Indian citizen. BJP MP Anurag Thakur claimed this undermined the Congress party’s stance on voter fraud during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Despite the political sparring, the court has made it clear: no case will be registered against Sonia Gandhi regarding the 1980 voter list controversy.