Subramanian Swamy claims Rahul Gandhi a British citizen, want PM Modi to strip his LS membership

New Delhi: BJP leader Subramanian Swamy wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi claiming that Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi claimed himself a British citizen while floating a private company in London and demanded that the government should strip his Indian citizenship and as a member of Lok Sabha.

In a letter dated November 12, 2015 to the PM, Swamy said, "I am enclosing with this letter some authenticated documents regarding the registration in 2003 and dissolution in 2009 of a Private Ltd. Company in United Kingdom with an address located in London. The name of the company is BACKOPS Limited and the Director and Secretary of this company was Mr. Rahul Gandhi, presently Lok Sabha MP. The incorporation papers of this company No. 4874597 was filed with the Registrar of Companies in England and Wales on August 21, 2003 and the dissolution was on February 17, 2009".

"Hence I urge you to treat this matter with great urgency and immediately take necessary steps to see if this prima facie evidence is rebuttable, and if not, order that Mr. Rahul Gandhi be stripped of his citizenship, and his membership of the Lok Sabha, forthwith," Swamy said on Monday while highlighting some of the points he mentioned in his letter to Modi.

Swamy said that he will also write to Lok Sabha Speaker soon requesting her to refer the matter to the Committee on Ethics for appropriate action.

Meanwhile, Congress rubbishes allegations made by Swamy and issued a statement, which claimed that since Gandhi was born he held Indian citizenship and Indian passport and has never held citizenship of any other country nor has he represented as such. "Dr. Swamy's allegations are entirely false. The Certificate of Incorporation of the said company is enclosed and clearly mentions Gandhi as an Indian national," it says.

"The said company mentioned by Dr. Swamy's was incorporated in August 2003. Shri Gandhi was elected as a Member of Parliament for the first time in 2004. He has never held any account in Pictet Bank, Zurich, nor has he ever been questioned or detained at Logan Airport, Boston with undeclared cash. This is a complete falsehood that Swamy is in the habit of falsely repeating for decades for his malicious political motives and to gain cheap publicity," it said.