Rahul Gandhi UK citizenship issue: BJP making bogus allegations, says Kharge

Rejecting Subramanian Swamy's claims of Rahul Gandhi declaring himself a British citizen, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said the Bharatiya Janata Party has made bogus claims to divert the public's attention from its internal quarrels.

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"This is all bogus and our party people have cleared (clarified) it. Even our spokesperson has said there is nothing and it is only to defame Rahul Gandhi and our party," Kharge told ANI.

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"They wanted to divert the issue, because now, they are fighting internally and there are internal scribbles. To divert the attention of the public, they are saying all such things. But, people are not going to listen to such false and bogus allegations against Rahul Gandhi or the Congress Party," he added.

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The Janata Dal (United) also criticised Swamy and said it was a wasteful exercise to raise such unimportant issues.

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"I disagree with Subramanian Swamy. The Congress is capable enough to give an answer to it. It will be better if these unimportant matters are not raised," JD (U) leader K.C. Tyagi told ANI.

Swamy has accused Gandhi of declaring himself a British citizen to float a firm in that country. He had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded that Gandhi be stripped of his Indian citizenship and his membership of parliament.

Swamy alleged that Gandhi had floated a company called Backops Limited in 2003 in the United Kingdom, and in the annual return form, he had declared himself to be of British nationality with a UK address. Rahul also held 65 per cent of the total shares issued by this company, Swamy claimed.