NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Tuesday issued a notice to veteran Congress leader Sonia Gandhi over the wrongful inclusion in the 1980-81 electoral rolls.Senior advocate Pavan Narang, appearing for the revisionist Vikas Tripathi, argued that the matter warranted reconsideration as the material placed on record indicated serious irregularities in the manner Sonia Gandhi’s name was entered into the electoral roll before she became an Indian citizen.He submitted that “certain documents must have been forged and falsified to get the name in the electoral roll of 1980,” emphasising that her name was later deleted and then re-entered in 1983 on the basis of an application filed in January 1983, both instances, according to him, occurring before she acquired citizenship.After considering the submissions, Judge Gogne issued notice to both respondents, including Sonia Gandhi.The revision petition stems from a complaint filed by advocate Vikas Tripathi, which the Magistrate had rejected at the threshold, holding that it lacked legal foundation and relied solely on uncertified photocopies of electoral records from 1980. The Magistrate had also observed that questions of citizenship and electoral rolls fall exclusively within the jurisdiction of the Centre and the Election Commission of India, and cannot be adjudicated through a criminal complaint. Meanwhile, Congress MP and Sonia’s daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra defended her mother claiming the allegations to be “absolute lie””Do they have any evidence? This is an absolute lie. She voted only after she became a citizen (of India). I don’t know why they are after her, even though she is about to turn 80. She has dedicated her whole life to serving the nation. She should be spared at her age now,” Gandhi said.The matter is now listed for further hearing on January 6, when the Sessions Court will continue examining the challenge to the Magistrate’s order dismissing the complaint at the threshold.
