Swamy vs. Sonia Affidavit alchemy
July 14, 2025
  • Read Ecopy
  • Circulation
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
Organiser
  • ‌
  • Bharat
    • Assam
    • Bihar
    • Chhattisgarh
    • Jharkhand
    • Maharashtra
    • View All States
  • World
    • Asia
    • Europe
    • North America
    • South America
    • Africa
    • Australia
    • Global Commons
  • Editorial
  • International
  • Opinion
  • Op Sindoor
  • More
    • Analysis
    • Sports
    • Defence
    • RSS in News
    • Politics
    • Business
    • Economy
    • Culture
    • Special Report
    • Sci & Tech
    • Entertainment
    • G20
    • Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav
    • Vocal4Local
    • Web Stories
    • Education
    • Employment
    • Books
    • Interviews
    • Travel
    • Law
    • Health
    • Obituary
    • Podcast
MAGAZINE
  • ‌
  • Bharat
    • Assam
    • Bihar
    • Chhattisgarh
    • Jharkhand
    • Maharashtra
    • View All States
  • World
    • Asia
    • Europe
    • North America
    • South America
    • Africa
    • Australia
    • Global Commons
  • Editorial
  • International
  • Opinion
  • Op Sindoor
  • More
    • Analysis
    • Sports
    • Defence
    • RSS in News
    • Politics
    • Business
    • Economy
    • Culture
    • Special Report
    • Sci & Tech
    • Entertainment
    • G20
    • Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav
    • Vocal4Local
    • Web Stories
    • Education
    • Employment
    • Books
    • Interviews
    • Travel
    • Law
    • Health
    • Obituary
    • Podcast
Organiser
  • Home
  • Bharat
  • World
  • Operation Sindoor
  • Editorial
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
  • Culture
  • Defence
  • International Edition
  • RSS in News
  • Magazine
  • Read Ecopy
Home General

Swamy vs. Sonia Affidavit alchemy

by Archive Manager
Jan 16, 2005, 12:00 am IST
in General
FacebookTwitterWhatsAppTelegramEmail


By Sandhya Jain

New Delhi is agog with the probable political fallout of a possible decision by the Election Commission, nullifying Sonia Gandhi’s election to the Lok Sabha from Rae Bareilly in 2004. In a move reminiscent of the Allahabad High Court’s decision to set aside the election of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, former Union Minister Subramaniam Swamy has challenged the legality of the Congress Party president’s election and may well succeed in having it declared null and void.

Temperatures have risen with a decision likely soon, as Swamy claims he has an open-and-shut case and will move the courts if he fails to secure a favourable verdict. The unseating of Sonia Gandhi from the Lok Sabha will trigger a turmoil and can reopen the question of whether she qualifies for Indian citizen in the first place. After all, it is as a citizen of India that she contested elections.

Given the gravity of the matter, it may be worth examining some of the issues involved. To begin with, there are disparities between what Sonia Gandhi says about herself and known facts. For instance, the birth certificate sent by the Italian embassy to the Indian Home Ministry in 1983 (when she applied for Indian citizenship) gave her name as Antonia and not Sonia. Her place of birth was listed as Luciana, and not Orbassano, which is listed in the Lok Sabha’s Who’s Who. Sonia Gandhi’s year of birth is given as 1944. Some reports also state that her father, Signor Stefano Maino, was a prisoner-of-war in Russia allegedly from 1942 till Italy surrendered to the Allies in 1945.

The controversy now is about her academic qualifications. It is alleged that while filling her Lok Sabha candidacy form in 2004, she claimed on a sworn affidavit before a magistrate that she had a certificate in English from the University of Cambridge. But the university denied it and Dr Swamy has presented this to the EC. A false declaration is a criminal offence under the IPC. Yet this was not the first controversy on this matter. She made this claim in the 1999-2004 Lok Sabha Who’s Who as well, and claimed it was a “typing mistake” when the Speaker asked her to answer a complaint in this regard.

There is thus a mystery about what Sonia Gandhi did in London between 1963 and 1968.

This brings us to the question of Gandhi’s citizenship under the registration clause of the Citizenship Act of 1955. Such citizenship is in principle revocable by law. And this makes her credentials to be Prime Minister tenuous and fragile. Indeed, this was precisely as recounted in some quarters then that President Abdul Kalam rejected her claim, though denied later. Media reports, then said the Congress president wrote to the President staking claim to form the Government and received an appointment for 5 pm on May 17, when she expected to receive a formal invitation. A list of 340 MPs proposing her name accompanied her letter.

But a few hours before this, Dr. Subramaniam Swamy called on the President and acquainted him with the reciprocity proviso in the Citizenship Act, which debars Sonia Gandhi from becoming Prime Minister unless a naturalized India-born citizen of Italy is qualified to hold similar office in that country. Dr. Kalam then reportedly sent her a letter at 3.30 pm asking her to cancel the 5 pm appointment and come on 18 May to discuss government formation. Though the letter was kept secret, its contents can be inferred from the fact that Sonia Gandhi suddenly renounced her desire to become PM and appointed Dr. Manmohan Singh to the post.

There are other reasons why many Indians have reservations about Sonia Gandhi’s high eminence in the political arena. The most obvious is that though she married Rajiv Gandhi in 1968 and qualified for Indian citizenship in 1973, she only sought and accepted Indian citizenship on April 30, 1983, when it was clear that her husband was heir-designate of his mother. Indira Gandhi was assassinated in October 1984 and Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister immediately thereafter.

Yet doubts persist about the legality of the Indian citizenship. Sonia claims she gave her Italian passport to the Indian government while taking Indian citizenship, but refuses to say if she surrendered her Italian passport to the Italian government. Under Roman law, both she and her descendants can eternally claim Italian citizenship, hence the question arises whether she has legally renounced her Italian citizenship for herself and her children?

ShareTweetSendShareSend
✮ Subscribe Organiser YouTube Channel. ✮
✮ Join Organiser's WhatsApp channel for Nationalist views beyond the news. ✮
Previous News

Sangh Samachar Dinanath Batra felicitated in Delhi

Next News

What to do with booming foreign exchange?

Related News

Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, courtesy: getty images

Bihar voter list revision: “ECI is doing a good job,” says Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi 

Democracy: A test for the West

Girmityas: Cultural bond defies colonial bond

Sikkim MP D T Lepcha backs Arunachal CM, urges Union Govt to rename Indo-China border as Indo-Tibet border

Celebrating the 90th birthday of the Dalai Lama, an international Buddhist conference in New Delhi

Global Buddhist leaders celebrate Dalai Lama’s legacy and reaffirm relevance of Buddha Dharma in 21st century

Bihar deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha, image courtesy Navbharat

“Strict measures are being taken to prevent criminal activities”: Bihar deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha

Load More

Comments

The comments posted here/below/in the given space are not on behalf of Organiser. The person posting the comment will be in sole ownership of its responsibility. According to the central government's IT rules, obscene or offensive statement made against a person, religion, community or nation is a punishable offense, and legal action would be taken against people who indulge in such activities.

Latest News

Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, courtesy: getty images

Bihar voter list revision: “ECI is doing a good job,” says Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi 

Democracy: A test for the West

Girmityas: Cultural bond defies colonial bond

Sikkim MP D T Lepcha backs Arunachal CM, urges Union Govt to rename Indo-China border as Indo-Tibet border

Celebrating the 90th birthday of the Dalai Lama, an international Buddhist conference in New Delhi

Global Buddhist leaders celebrate Dalai Lama’s legacy and reaffirm relevance of Buddha Dharma in 21st century

Bihar deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha, image courtesy Navbharat

“Strict measures are being taken to prevent criminal activities”: Bihar deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha

US President Donald Trump

Donald Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’: A burden for domestic economy and the diaspora?

Visit of PM Modi to Trinidad and Tobago: Dialing with indentured diaspora

Karnataka: Protests erupt as Congress-led government moves to take over historic Gali Anjaneyaswamy Mandir

The Aadhaar Saturation Enigma in Bihar: Demographics, politics, and the question of citizenship

  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Cookie Policy
  • Refund and Cancellation
  • Delivery and Shipping

© Bharat Prakashan (Delhi) Limited.
Tech-enabled by Ananthapuri Technologies

  • Home
  • Search Organiser
  • Bharat
    • Assam
    • Bihar
    • Chhattisgarh
    • Jharkhand
    • Maharashtra
    • View All States
  • World
    • Asia
    • Africa
    • North America
    • South America
    • Europe
    • Australia
    • Global Commons
  • Editorial
  • Operation Sindoor
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Defence
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Business
  • RSS in News
  • Entertainment
  • More ..
    • Sci & Tech
    • Vocal4Local
    • Special Report
    • Education
    • Employment
    • Books
    • Interviews
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Politics
    • Law
    • Economy
    • Obituary
    • Podcast
  • Subscribe Magazine
  • Read Ecopy
  • Advertise
  • Circulation
  • Careers
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Policies & Terms
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Refund and Cancellation
    • Terms of Use

© Bharat Prakashan (Delhi) Limited.
Tech-enabled by Ananthapuri Technologies