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SC admits pleas against Sonia's election: PTI

The Supreme Court Monday admitted two appeals challenging Congress president Sonia Gandhi's election to the Lok Sabha from Amethi last year as she, being an Italian national, could not be a citizen of India under the provisions of the Constitution.

A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice A S Anand and Justices Santosh Hegde and K G Balakrishnan admitted the petitions of Hari Shanker Jain, an independent candidate who was among 26 defeated by Gandhi in the elections on October 7, 1999, and Hari Krishna Lal.

Jain has challenged the Allahabad high court order dismissing his petition, challenging the election of Gandhi as a person who acquired citizenship by registration or naturalisation could not be termed an Indian citizen within the meaing of Articles 84, 326 and 102 of the Constitution.

The petitioner contended that Gandhi had dual citizenship as she had not renounced the citizenship of Italy and sought a court ruling on the time limit that should operate on dual citizenship.

The petitioner had also questioned how Antonia Maino became Sonia and whether she married Rajiv Gandhi. The high court had observed that to challenge a marriage after 30 years without disclosing any grounds was nothing but frivolous and scandalous.

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