Debate With Arnab: Sonia Gandhi Becomes Citizen In 1983, But Voter in 1980! — Transcript
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- 0:08Refreshing.
- 0:18>> From the Republic Media Network
- 0:20headquarters, it's time for Arnab Gowami
- 0:23on the debate.
- 0:54Arnav Gowami on the debate.
- 1:00Tonight we must on the nation's sharpest
- 1:02opinion agree to debate one of the
- 1:06biggest and potentially
- 1:11one of the most unavoidable questions in
- 1:15Indian politics today.
- 1:18Did Sonia Gandhi
- 1:21get her name put in the electoral roles
- 1:24of India while she was still an Italian
- 1:27citizen?
- 1:29This is a question the Congress party
- 1:31has dodged for 45 years. A question that
- 1:34the Delhi court, a Delhi court has now
- 1:36forced open. And what is the question?
- 1:40The question is around Sonia Gandhi,
- 1:44an Italian citizen,
- 1:47ending up on India's electoral role in
- 1:501980,
- 1:52three full years before she applied and
- 1:54became an Indian citizen in 1983.
- 1:59So how can you get your name in an
- 2:01electoral role in India if you're an
- 2:03Italian citizen?
- 2:06What has happened is that on 21st
- 2:08September 2026 that is this Monday,
- 2:12special judge Vishal Gogna of the Rouse
- 2:14Avenue courts in Delhi, right set aside
- 2:19the order dated 11th September 2025
- 2:22passed by the additional chief judicial
- 2:24magistrate Webhav Churasia.
- 2:28Now earlier on 11th September 2025, Web
- 2:33of Chasia had dismissed a complaint
- 2:36filed by advocate Vikas Tripati vice
- 2:39president of the Central Delhi Cordbar
- 2:41Association seeking an FIR and
- 2:45investigation over alleged voter role
- 2:47forgery.
- 2:49Voter role forgery in the Vikas party
- 2:52versus Sonia Gandhi case. If you haven't
- 2:55heard about this case, this is the time
- 2:56to read up about it. Now, this Monday,
- 3:00Justice Gogna set aside that order by
- 3:03calling the previous order quote
- 3:06perverse and improper
- 3:09a quote non-speaking order on the
- 3:12question of disclosure of a cognisable
- 3:15offense unquote by Sonia Gandhi.
- 3:19What is making things complicated for
- 3:21Sonia Gandhi is that judge Gogna has
- 3:23ordered a fresh hearing.
- 3:26He says the nation wants to know was a
- 3:27cognisable offense committed.
- 3:30What documents forged to put a foreign
- 3:33citizen at that time? Sonia Gandhi a
- 3:37foreign citizen an Italian citizen on
- 3:41India's voter role.
- 3:44Let me give you the facts today in case
- 3:46you are shocked. Remember everything I'm
- 3:48telling you is opin not opinion. These
- 3:51are facts. Here are the facts.
- 3:54Sonia Gandhi is born in Italy.
- 3:59She's born as Antonia the Mino in Italy
- 4:04around 1945 1946.
- 4:07She marries Rajiv Gandhi in 1968 and
- 4:10then moves to India.
- 4:13Her
- 4:14mother-in-law is the prime minister of
- 4:16India. She lives in one subdarang road,
- 4:19the official residence of the prime
- 4:22minister of India.
- 4:24But she does not take Indian
- 4:25citizenship. She remains an Italian.
- 4:28In fact, she remains an Italian citizen
- 4:31not for one, not for two, not for five,
- 4:33not for 10. She remains an Italian
- 4:35citizen for a decade and a half, 15
- 4:38years.
- 4:41She does not take Indian citizenship.
- 4:43She did not take Indian citizenship
- 4:45until the 30th of April 1983. These are
- 4:49facts I'm telling you ladies and
- 4:51gentlemen.
- 4:53Congressman, there is no point getting
- 4:55angry. These are facts. This is on
- 4:57judicial record. Now the Alabad High
- 5:00Court has noted the facts. The Supreme
- 5:02Court of India has noted the facts.
- 5:06Sonia Gandhi got citizenship under
- 5:09section 51c of the citizenship act 1955.
- 5:13The date she gets is 30th April 1983.
- 5:18So you will say what is the problem? It
- 5:20is her choice. She wanted to remain an
- 5:22Italian citizen. Okay. The problem is in
- 5:25the document that I have with me.
- 5:29I have a document here.
- 5:31This document is from 1980.
- 5:35The electoral roles of New Delhi
- 5:37parliamentary constituency were revised.
- 5:40The qualifying date 1st of January 1980.
- 5:43And what do we find?
- 5:46We find Sonia Gandhi's name at serial
- 5:48number 388 polling station 145 address
- 5:52one subdarang road on the voter list.
- 5:58So an Italian citizen called Sonia
- 6:00Gandhi Antonia Dam the Mino is on the
- 6:02voter list in India. Who are the other
- 6:06names in that address?
- 6:09Who are the other names in that address?
- 6:12Ladies and gentlemen, Indra Gandhi,
- 6:15Prime Minister of India. Then 64 years
- 6:18old Rajiv Gandhi
- 6:22right
- 6:23son of Firos Gandhi 37 years old. Sanjay
- 6:26Gandhi 35 years old. Sonia Gandhi then
- 6:2935 years old and Maneka Gandhi then 28
- 6:32years old.
- 6:34Remember this is Sonia Gandhi's name.
- 6:36Sonia Gandhi is then an Italian citizen
- 6:39but she's on an Indian voter list. This
- 6:42is the issue here. There is no point if
- 6:45the Congress party says we are
- 6:46beingounded. This is wrong. Was a crime
- 6:49committed?
- 6:51Was the law broken? And what does the
- 6:54law say?
- 6:56The law says under article 326 of the
- 6:59Indian constitution section 16 of the
- 7:02representation of people's act 1950
- 7:04clearly says only an Indian citizen can
- 7:07be registered as a voter.
- 7:10A non-citizen is disqualified period. No
- 7:12ambiguity no gray area. Sonia Gandhi was
- 7:14a Italian citizen in 1980. Yes it had
- 7:19been 12 years since she had come to
- 7:20India but she was by choice an Italian
- 7:23citizen. You may be surprised how is she
- 7:26in the prime minister's why did she not
- 7:28take Indian citizenship I don't know
- 7:29it's a personal choice she chose to
- 7:32remain an Italian citizen till 1983
- 7:36she was Italian
- 7:38then the question comes was Sonia Gandhi
- 7:41therefore an Indian citizen 1980 no
- 7:44prime of essay she was an Italian
- 7:46citizen was her name on the voter list
- 7:49in 1990 allegedly yes serial number 388
- 7:53unless this document can be proven
- 7:55wrong. This is a substantial allegation
- 7:57against her which raises therefore five
- 8:00serious questions. Remember all of these
- 8:02are allegations. One, did Sonia Gandhi
- 8:04therefore commit the grievous crime of
- 8:06violating India's electoral rules? Is
- 8:09the document that is being shown around
- 8:11true or false?
- 8:14Was she a citizen of India only in 1983
- 8:18but her name was in the voter list in
- 8:201980?
- 8:22Was she not an Italian citizen in 1980?
- 8:25Are we wrong? Can she prove no, I was an
- 8:27Italian citizen? In which case, the case
- 8:29falls flat. Otherwise, it's a serious
- 8:31case. And is this therefore a very very
- 8:35sinister and worrying case
- 8:39of electoral malpractice?
- 8:43The nation wants to know. Let's debate.
- 8:49Sonia Gandhi water role controversy is
- 8:52back in the spotlight.
- 8:56The case centers on an alleged electoral
- 8:59role entry from 1980.
- 9:02According to the complaint, Sonia
- 9:04Gandhi's name appeared in the New Delhi
- 9:06constituency electoral role in 1980.
- 9:10The complaint further alleges that her
- 9:13name was deleted in 1982 and appeared
- 9:16again in 1983.
- 9:19the EO when Sonia Gandhi acquired Indian
- 9:22citizenship to be precise April 30th
- 9:251983.
- 9:28The central question raised before the
- 9:30court. How could her name have appeared
- 9:32on the electoral role before she
- 9:34acquired Indian citizenship?
- 9:37The complaint also alleged the use of
- 9:39forge documents.
- 9:41A magistrate had earlier rejected the
- 9:44police seeking an FIR and police
- 9:46investigation.
- 9:48However, the Sessions Court has now set
- 9:50aside that order.
- 9:53The court also called the September 25
- 9:56order non-speaking and lacking
- 9:59appropriate reasoning.
- 10:02The BJP has questioned how Sonia
- 10:04Gandhi's name could appear on the
- 10:07electoral roles before she became an
- 10:10Indian citizen.
- 10:111980
- 10:16Petition
- 10:181980
- 10:20Gandhi
- 10:22Hindustan
- 10:28Gandhi
- 10:301980
- 10:37forgery of documents
- 10:421983 Congress
- 10:54The court has remanded the matter back
- 10:56to the magistrate to pass a reasoned
- 10:59order after hearing fresh arguments.
- 11:14Abishek
- 11:16is with me here today. My colleague and
- 11:19senior executive editor of the network.
- 11:21Kabishek you know prami when I look at
- 11:24this case we go to the debate we have
- 11:26Sudan Chutradi of BJP Kumari of TDP
- 11:30praala Priyanka Kakar of Ahmedadmi party
- 11:32Abhasadra of Samwadi party Ratnakatra
- 11:34party of Congress and in support of
- 11:37Sonia Gandhi Pularo so we have a wide
- 11:39variety of participants here today uh
- 11:42what are the what is the core issue why
- 11:44this has become so major what is the
- 11:47what is the fundamental issue the BJP is
- 11:49trying to raise and is this become a
- 11:51particular vulnerability
- 11:53for Sonia Gandhi entire Congress
- 11:55ecosystem.
- 11:56>> Well, you you know you mentioned in your
- 11:58NSO whether the case stands or not. I
- 12:00would say the case actually stands and
- 12:02on a solid footing. Okay.
- 12:04>> Now you have in front of you the
- 12:05electoral role list the the the slip
- 12:07that is called from 1980.
- 12:10>> Yeah.
- 12:10>> It shows Sonia Gandhi as there enrolled
- 12:14as a voter.
- 12:15>> Yes.
- 12:16>> He became a citizen in 1983.
- 12:18>> Yeah.
- 12:18>> It's a fact not denied by the Congress
- 12:20party. not denied by the Gandhi family.
- 12:21So obviously this is an anomaly. This is
- 12:24electoral malpractice. Now the only
- 12:25technicality is whether Sonia Gandhi
- 12:28also voted because remember uh just
- 12:30because the name is there in the voters
- 12:32list does not primize prove that you
- 12:34have voted. So that's the only
- 12:36technicality but the first
- 12:38>> but it is still a malpractice.
- 12:39>> It is for sure a malpractice and
- 12:41>> that you got your name in the voters
- 12:42list when you were an Italian citizen.
- 12:44>> Yes. And that's not allowed. That should
- 12:46not have happened. And remember the
- 12:47those were the heydays. Indra Gandhi had
- 12:49just returned after uh
- 12:50>> she was prime minister.
- 12:51>> She was prime minister again after 1977
- 12:54Jantaa experiment and uh uh the Gandhis
- 12:58perhaps thought that they can get away
- 12:59with everything just like they could get
- 13:00away with.
- 13:01>> Are you saying the crime is also that of
- 13:03the prime minister of India then prime
- 13:05minister of India Indra Gandhi who
- 13:07allowed her daughter-in-law
- 13:10to her name to be put on the electoral
- 13:13roles while knowing that she was an
- 13:14Italian citizen. It's not possible that
- 13:16the prime minister's house and the prime
- 13:18minister's office and the defense media
- 13:20at that time would not have known the
- 13:21dhabar as it was
- 13:22>> this is this is then big let's pick this
- 13:24up right now uh ratnakarti just very
- 13:28briefly very briefly
- 13:30let's address the issue
- 13:34the issue is her name is in the
- 13:37electoral roles in the national capital
- 13:41of Delhi we have the polling station
- 13:42number the year the date the name
- 13:47right and the serial numbers
- 13:50which means this is a very big crime if
- 13:53it is true if it is not true why does
- 13:55Sonia Gandhi's office or the congress
- 13:57not deny it
- 14:00>> hey Dr. For me this is a subjudice
- 14:04matter and you Abishek Kapoor or Sudhani
- 14:08or anyone else on this panel doesn't
- 14:11have any right
- 14:13to draw any conclusion
- 14:16because earlier there was a different
- 14:18order and now the case has been handed
- 14:20back to the ACGM again to rehear it
- 14:26without a mandate or clear-cut
- 14:28instruction do this or do that. So this
- 14:32is a subjugus case. I would like to
- 14:34advise Mr. Thrivedi and VJP to in the
- 14:38meantime find out whether Javal Aru was
- 14:41a bonafide uh resident and citizen of
- 14:44India in 1952 or not. Why did he become
- 14:48the prime minister had he been a I mean
- 14:52the citizen of Laha or Islam? They
- 14:53should find out about this. This is the
- 14:56proper thing. In the meantime, they must
- 14:58find out whether Javal Lanu was a
- 15:01bonafideed citizen or not. That would be
- 15:04a major issue. And how does Sonia Gandhi
- 15:08was a citizen or not or justify the
- 15:12rapes in Jammu, Bihar?
- 15:16Three rapes, five rapes in 2 months, six
- 15:20rape in UP, rising prices today the you
- 15:25know the wholesale price of onion jumped
- 15:28to 135%.
- 15:32135%. How did this justify? Let the
- 15:35court come with come with an order and
- 15:38the Congress and the agreed party and
- 15:40the party who is defending will do it.
- 15:42Just
- 15:43>> I feel that despite coming to you first
- 15:46in the debate
- 15:49Dr. Thank you and I would like to now
- 15:51bring in the Sudanui.
- 15:54>> See one minute one minute one don't get
- 15:56worked up. I would I would like to now
- 15:59bring in Sudhanui.
- 16:01I just want to say here to everyone
- 16:02watching the program tonight, this is
- 16:04not a laughing matter. It is a very
- 16:06serious matter. I'm not laughing to
- 16:08Ratnakarati. I would like to say that I
- 16:10know the law better than you. I know the
- 16:13law better than you. I know I'm well
- 16:15within my rights to raise the question.
- 16:17So don't try to intimidate. Uh the fact
- 16:20is that the judiciary
- 16:24nothing else. You are trying to do a
- 16:26monkey trial here. Nothing else.
- 16:28>> Can I tell you one thing? I have no
- 16:30intention to pressurize the judiciary
- 16:32but I am a firm believer in bringing
- 16:35issues before through the media among
- 16:38the people. I've even told the chief
- 16:39justice of India sir I do believe in the
- 16:41media said it
- 16:43>> okay now now Sudhanui Sudanchu Sudhanui
- 16:46this was the state
- 16:48>> G can I have a very very civilized and
- 16:50sane and calm reasonable uh rational
- 16:54tell me how I am not univilized how do
- 16:57you feel that I'm not
- 16:58>> this is the problem Abhishek you know
- 17:00what happens is
- 17:02I am the most mature person on the
- 17:04screen right now but when others become
- 17:07immature people say why don't I am
- 17:09presently the most calm, patient and
- 17:11mature person on this
- 17:14told me. Thank you sir.
- 17:23Congress
- 17:40Now listen to me.
- 17:47Okay, Sudhani.
- 17:49Uh why is this a big issue? One, why are
- 17:52you are you raising it now? Why are you
- 17:54doing a national level press conference
- 17:56on this issue? And and do you do you
- 18:00really think that you can proceed
- 18:02against Sonia Gandhi or uh and file
- 18:05criminal charges against her for this?
- 18:10Uh the type of logic which uh G tried to
- 18:15give they are not just flimsy and
- 18:17ridiculous rather than he tried to make
- 18:19a of himself. As far as the issue
- 18:22is concerned, it's concerned with the
- 18:24one of the senior most politicians of
- 18:26the country who de facto ruled this
- 18:28country for about 10 10 years. And as
- 18:31far as the issue is concerned, it's not
- 18:33just the issue of one voter was there or
- 18:35not. This is not a technical issue. It
- 18:38is a very serious constitutional, moral
- 18:41and legal issue that how the Indian
- 18:44system has been made captive and what
- 18:47would have been the consequences if
- 18:50there someone else would have been there
- 18:52an ordinary person.
- 18:58If their government would have been
- 18:59there, they would have gone to make a
- 19:02constitutional amendment retrospectively
- 19:05like Sonia Gandhi when she has to resign
- 19:07in 2006 on the issue of office of profit
- 19:11because first Congress tried to target
- 19:13Ja Bachchan on the issue of office of
- 19:15profit because of some post given by the
- 19:17UP government because that was nothing
- 19:19but the personal animosity with Gandhi
- 19:22family and then suddenly
- 19:24This chairperson of the national
- 19:26advisory council has also fallen under
- 19:29the category of uh office of profit.
- 19:33Then what happened in the meantime when
- 19:36she went again for elect being elected
- 19:39as MP from Ryber in the meantime
- 19:41government of India amended the
- 19:43constitution
- 19:45from the retrospective aspect and taken
- 19:48the office of profit outside it.
- 20:031983
- 20:05Sanja Gandhi.
- 20:08Rajiv Gandhi was reluctant to join the
- 20:10politics but after a gate drill of
- 20:12persuasion and pressure he accepted that
- 20:16in 1982 he became member of parliament
- 20:19and after that he became designated
- 20:21successor of throne
- 20:29then I think the part the family would
- 20:31have thought now it is incumbent on the
- 20:34part of Sonia Gandhi to get the
- 20:35citizenship
- 20:44She has given an affidavit. Sir, let me
- 20:46complete one sentence. Uh, no. She has
- 20:49given an affidavit that she was having a
- 20:51degree from Cambridge. And then what
- 20:54happened when investigation was done?
- 20:57They said, "No, no, it was a Cambridge C
- 21:00school English. She's speaking school on
- 21:02the Cambridge street. It was a
- 21:03typography error.
- 21:122004. Sir just four instances
- 21:162004 she has sacrificed the post of
- 21:19prime ministership but we all remember
- 21:21in April 1999 after the fall of Waj
- 21:25government by just one vote Sonia G came
- 21:27out of and in front of Rashadi Bhan her
- 21:30bite is available we are having 272. So
- 21:33she was having all the aspiration to
- 21:35become the prime minister and
- 21:37subsequently as it was projected by the
- 21:39congressman that she denounced the power
- 21:42but she became cabinet minister and the
- 21:44rank of cabinet minister under the prime
- 21:46minister
- 21:49cabinet minister. So this is the history
- 21:51of congress party
- 21:53nothing new about it.
- 21:55>> We know it. It is not a history sir. One
- 21:58thing you have to tell me
- 21:59>> this is one of the five instances.
- 22:01>> No no no. July 25th, 2026, Justice Gome
- 22:05said, "Why are you bringing this 50-y
- 22:07old case before me? This is a
- 22:10limitations case." He said it. This no
- 22:13law in the books today will allow this
- 22:17case because they give another
- 22:19limitation. Why have you taken up such a
- 22:22case? Why 1984 case have been reopened
- 22:26or not? Couldn't you find anything?
- 22:32It's not the BJP that has taken up. It's
- 22:34it's it's the court which has taken up
- 22:36Polaro. It's the court which has
- 22:38>> shown us some regard. You should have
- 22:39shown us some regard that into this.
- 22:42>> No, no, listen just because it's it's
- 22:45important that I mention the court's the
- 22:47court's reasons of why it has ordered a
- 22:51reopening of the case. You know, uh let
- 22:53me just just quickly read it.
- 22:55>> Yeah. The court's concern was primarily
- 22:57with the manner in which the magistrate
- 22:59dealt with the complaint. Right. The
- 23:02special judge Vishal Gogna has described
- 23:05the earlier order as non-speaking. The
- 23:08sessions court the magistrate had not
- 23:11the court has said that the magistrate
- 23:13had not properly examined the
- 23:15allegations disclosed whether they were
- 23:18they constituted a cognisable offense or
- 23:20not. Instead had focused on the issue of
- 23:23citizenship. You know Sonia Gandhi did
- 23:26become citizen in 1983 but how come her
- 23:30name was in the electoral role in 1980
- 23:33that's the issue which the court or the
- 23:35magistrate's court did not look into and
- 23:37that's why this has been reopened now
- 23:40also it's a case of double geoperty
- 23:42because as I saw through the facts 1980
- 23:45her name is there in the list 1982 it
- 23:49gets removed 1983 it comes back again
- 23:52now the catch is Sonia Gandhi becomes
- 23:56citizen of the country on April 30th of
- 23:591983 Pularo
- 24:02and Ratnakatripati but the cut off date
- 24:06for that year's electoral role revision
- 24:09was January 1, 1983 which means still
- 24:13her name and the electoral roles came in
- 24:15even before she became citizen second
- 24:17time also and that's where the double
- 24:21geop party is and that's something with
- 24:23the Congress party and the Gandhi family
- 24:25has to explain.
- 24:26>> What what brilliantly put what is the
- 24:28court asking? Priyanka uh and and
- 24:32Abasar,
- 24:34what is the court asking? First, let us
- 24:36make it very clear that Sonia Gandhi's
- 24:39lawyer has been given the opportunity to
- 24:41argue. During the arguments, the judge
- 24:44asks Sonia Gandhi's lawyer, "How will
- 24:47you bypass the issue that Sonia Gandhi
- 24:52became a voter prior to becoming a
- 24:54citizen in 1983?" You cannot avoid that
- 24:58question.
- 24:59>> Yeah,
- 25:00>> this is the worst case of nepotism if
- 25:03true. And the critical point is the
- 25:06court did not itself order an FIR but it
- 25:09held that the power to consider such a
- 25:12request under section 1753 of the
- 25:14Parhyan Sanita rests with the
- 25:16magistrate. The magistrate must now pass
- 25:18a reasoned speaking order after hearing
- 25:20the complainant and the Delhi police. So
- 25:24this is a very wellargued case. You
- 25:25can't say Sonia Gandhi did not get a
- 25:27chance. The beauty of our system is we
- 25:30give a chance to everyone.
- 25:32But look at the seriousness of the
- 25:34matter. Italian citizen
- 25:37puts her name in the electoral roles
- 25:39>> twice. Twice.
- 25:42And let me tell you, I don't want to
- 25:45scare anyone, but section 337 of the BNS
- 25:49deals specifically with forgery of court
- 25:51records, public registers or government
- 25:52issued identity documents. And the bail
- 25:55status is nonvailable. So let's look at
- 25:57the seriousness of this also. Right?
- 25:59>> No, no, no, no, no. Don't get excited.
- 26:01This
- 26:02One small point.
- 26:03>> So you know what forgery means?
- 26:06>> No. See, it can't be.
- 26:07>> You know what forgery potentially means?
- 26:09>> Transferred. Criminal liability can't be
- 26:11transferred. She has nothing to do with
- 26:13it.
- 26:16Priyanka she's his argument is Sonia
- 26:18Gandhi can go and say my sec my my my
- 26:23mother mother-in-law was prime minister.
- 26:25Her secretary put my name did not ask
- 26:26me. The question is did she reap the
- 26:28benefits of having her name in the
- 26:30electoral loss? A B did she vote?
- 26:33Priyanka.
- 26:38>> Good evening to everyone and Bakup.
- 26:39There are certain legal as well as
- 26:42factual issues that I see in this
- 26:44debate. I mean, leave them aside. I'm
- 26:47saying if there was a fraud committed
- 26:48and if the case is opened after 46 years
- 26:50and there's an anomaly, it should be
- 26:52tested. Not an issue. But then we have
- 26:54to compare what the current BJP
- 26:55government has done with the laws. You
- 26:57see the election commissioner and the
- 26:58chief election commissioner. Now I have
- 27:00complete immunity from criminal and
- 27:02civil laws.
- 27:10They are not liable for anything. This
- 27:12is a very serious anomaly I would call
- 27:15it because you know maybe 50 years later
- 27:17you could implicate Ganesh Kumar in the
- 27:20criminal offenses. Anil Masi protect
- 27:22maybe 50 years later somebody could wake
- 27:24up and put a case on Ganesh Kumar and
- 27:27then he should be punished. But BJP has
- 27:29given complete immunity to that. I don't
- 27:31agree with that. So you see we're
- 27:33talking about an era where where it was
- 27:35no voters should be left behind to an
- 27:37era where most voters should be
- 27:40opposition votes should be deleted from
- 27:41the electoral list. 13 cr votes have
- 27:44been deleted. I think these are very
- 27:45pressing issue. I also think that BJP is
- 27:47trying to change the narrative because
- 27:50you know this issue does not connect
- 27:51with the Gen Z. We tell the BJP even if
- 27:53it's a good issue even if you know the
- 27:55even if it passes all the legal and all
- 27:57the factual
- 27:59difficulties obstacles that will come in
- 28:01this case and the magistrate has to pass
- 28:02a reasoned order at best which is a very
- 28:04normal routine thing sometimes it so
- 28:06happens that the orders are not speaking
- 28:08and the matters are remanded back and
- 28:09they have to pass a speaking order and
- 28:11they might again he might again dismiss
- 28:12this that is a very big possibility
- 28:14because there are many legal and fact
- 28:16I'm repeating this because I cannot say
- 28:18this enough that there are many legal
- 28:20and factual issues in this
- 28:20>> so you supporting Sonia Gandhi. What is
- 28:23important is no no I'm not I'm saying if
- 28:27there's a fraud committed I'm very glad
- 28:28that the case is over taken up after 46
- 28:30years but I'm saying that similarly
- 28:34>> you are saying that you are saying that
- 28:35irrespective of the facts of the case
- 28:37even if Sonia Gandhi was Italian when
- 28:39her name was in the electoral roles this
- 28:41issue is not important because Jenzi
- 28:43will not uh it won't matter to Jenzi
- 28:46>> so you are saying Jenzi does not care if
- 28:48an Italian votes in India
- 28:50>> what I'm saying you know you know very
- 28:51well what I've said
- 28:52>> or is qualified I am saying they're
- 28:53trying to digress the issue through
- 28:55this. I've I know
- 28:56>> digress from what?
- 28:57>> No, I've not spoken so simply.
- 29:01There's so many pressing issues.
- 29:04It's still burning. It's been more than
- 29:05two years. For example,
- 29:16>> I don't know if you're smarter than
- 29:17this. You're smarter than this and you
- 29:19know, so I'm just making a point. I am
- 29:22making a point.
- 29:23>> What? What? What? Tell me.
- 29:24>> Yes. I'm making a point that I am I am
- 29:27very happy about the fact I'm very happy
- 29:29about the fact that a fraud can be
- 29:31investigated after 50 years. But BJP has
- 29:34removed this provision from the existing
- 29:36laws and Ganesh Kumar's fraud will will
- 29:40go unpunished. That is what that is the
- 29:42point.
- 29:42>> I'll let Sudan respond. Imagine if
- 29:44>> I I I'll let
- 29:46>> any example of Ganesh Kumar putting a
- 29:48foreign national in the voters list.
- 29:50>> If there was if he want then we should
- 29:52put it out. If there is a case of Ganesh
- 29:54Kumar
- 29:54>> there was a Brazilian model.
- 29:55>> So Matthew Matthew Vandai should come
- 29:57out of come out of jail and vote in
- 29:59Chandi
- 30:02and you will be okay with it.
- 30:04>> Arnavu
- 30:06is on the debate. I think he wants to
- 30:07make a comeback
- 30:11as as far as
- 30:17as far as the present election
- 30:18commission of India and the electoral
- 30:20process of India is concerned to the
- 30:23utmost discomfort of our opponents they
- 30:26used to cherish and chest thumping on
- 30:28the issue of US President Trump. Now
- 30:31Trump had said that the Indian electoral
- 30:33system is very significant and very
- 30:35robust and the US should try to adopt
- 30:38this even they were communicating with
- 30:39the election commission of India because
- 30:41you were giving legitimacy to Trump. So
- 30:44now and as far as these type of logics
- 30:46which were given
- 30:53Gandhi 1983
- 30:56citizenship because she was having in
- 30:59mind smash patriarchy
- 31:01I will not like to follow my husband's
- 31:04house. Why I should follow the husband's
- 31:07country citizenship? I will not follow
- 31:10the patriarchy. She might be having
- 31:12something in her mind.
- 31:15That's why she took 15 years to come out
- 31:17of those things and entered into the
- 31:20patriarchy. And she didn't only change
- 31:23her surname, she changed the first name
- 31:25also.
- 31:28But as far as the technical aspect is
- 31:30concerned, it is very clear and serious
- 31:34that the prime minister of India, their
- 31:38own family was having an illegal
- 31:41unauthorized voter list.
- 31:47Foreign voters
- 31:56victory margin
- 32:03three times more than Rahul Gandhi's
- 32:05margin. Why? Because Assam CMT Vishu
- 32:08Sharma has said that Dubir is like a
- 32:10mini Bangladesh which has seen the
- 32:12biggest demographic change in the last
- 32:15couple of decades because of the foreign
- 32:17infiltrators and 2024 Congress leaders
- 32:21have written article in Bangladeshi
- 32:23newspaper Daily Star that Modi has to
- 32:25go. Why they were writing to Bangladeshi
- 32:28newspaper foreign
- 32:31the Congress party established by a
- 32:33foreigner Alen October for first 15
- 32:36years there were several Congress
- 32:38presidents who were foreigners like
- 32:40Alfred Robe William Venburn George
- 32:43Cartel and and several others so now
- 32:46it's very simple they can have a
- 32:49foreigner can have the citizenship
- 32:51foreign foreigner was having the
- 32:52presidentship and even they are getting
- 32:54the biggest
- 32:56victory margin from that area which is
- 32:58under serious suspicion that how many
- 33:01foreigners and foreign voters are there
- 33:04I don't think that in the present
- 33:06context of the Brazilian model
- 33:08>> the Brazilian model example
- 33:11>> Abhishek what is the the Brazilian model
- 33:14example is raised by Priyanka
- 33:16>> in that case arguing on vote chory the
- 33:19Congress party says that a Brazilian
- 33:21model's name is in the electoral roles
- 33:24This was Rahul Gandhi said on stage, how
- 33:26can a Brazilian be in the electoral
- 33:28roles
- 33:30equally? It can be argued.
- 33:34How did an Italian get into the
- 33:35electoral roles?
- 33:43But no one was punished.
- 33:48This is going to get very interesting.
- 33:49Yeah. Pardon me.
- 33:51>> Yeah. On the here we are talking about a
- 33:54person who has been a de facto prime
- 33:57minister of this country for 10 years
- 34:00and this is a very serious crime she had
- 34:03committed. See for any person to get
- 34:06enrolled as a voter in this country they
- 34:09have to fill a form called as form six.
- 34:14This has been there right from 1950 when
- 34:17election commission got into existence.
- 34:20>> In form six, in form six or it is
- 34:24required for a person who wants to
- 34:26enroll as a voter to declare that he or
- 34:30she is a citizen of India. You have a
- 34:33column in form six where you have to
- 34:35declare that I am a citizen of India and
- 34:38you have to sign. It is only after you
- 34:41declare that you are a citizen of India
- 34:44and you sign on the form six that you
- 34:46are enrolled as a voter in this country.
- 34:49So if Sonia Gandhi's name appeared in
- 34:53voter number 388 of polling station 145
- 34:58then it is only after she had signed
- 35:00this form six. It is not that any
- 35:02secretary can fill her name and you know
- 35:05get it into the voter list. So Sonia
- 35:08Gandhi deliberately gave a false
- 35:11declaration on form six and she is
- 35:13punishable today. She has to be punished
- 35:17as per the section 31 of representation
- 35:19of people's act 1950. She is punishable
- 35:23as per BNS. She is punishable because
- 35:26she had given a false declaration on
- 35:29form six. The issues the case is very
- 35:32simple here. So Sonia Gandhi cannot
- 35:35escape today because she had given a
- 35:38false declaration not once but twice. In
- 35:401980 February 1983 her name again
- 35:43appeared in voter number 236 of polling
- 35:46station 140 of the Tuklra booth. So it
- 35:49is not once but twice that she had given
- 35:52a false declaration even before becoming
- 35:54a citizen of India. How can she sign
- 35:57this form six stating that she is a
- 35:59citizen of India?
- 36:02So it is a very grave crime that Sonia
- 36:03Gandhi had committed and she has to be
- 36:05punished and all these things will come
- 36:07out in the open. And the second thing is
- 36:10Ornab for 15 years she never wanted to
- 36:14be a
- 36:15>> the BJP has been in been in power for 12
- 36:17years
- 36:19>> or more than 12 years. The why have you
- 36:21woken up now? No see it is now the court
- 36:26now which has you know given this these
- 36:28instructions and which has asked to
- 36:30reopen this case and now this has case
- 36:32has come out in the open and it has to
- 36:35be investigated now
- 36:36>> and all these facts
- 36:38>> okay come out in the open and she has to
- 36:40be punished
- 36:40>> now now guys this is going to get
- 36:42controversial right I find I'm asking
- 36:44tonight have two versus four with two
- 36:47debaters on one side Sudhanu and Patabir
- 36:50Kumari have they won the debate
- 36:52Abbas in terms of facts not not bland
- 36:56denials they come armed with facts today
- 36:59what counter do you have if any of your
- 37:02of the of the supreme leader of your
- 37:04alliance party
- 37:06>> well Mr. Gowami a fresh hearing is not a
- 37:10conviction it's not even an FIR that has
- 37:12been ordered by the honorable court
- 37:14there has been no evidence that the
- 37:16court has confirmed that Mrs. Sonia
- 37:18Gandhi has forged any document. The
- 37:20question here is
- 37:21>> knowing that she's a public figure, why
- 37:23is the Congress not issuing a denial?
- 37:25>> 17 years.
- 37:26>> Congress is saying,
- 37:27>> Congress is saying wait. Congress is
- 37:29saying it's a stale case. It is not
- 37:33denying. It is not denying. Why is it
- 37:36not denying?
- 37:37>> No, no. I am saying that the Bharti
- 37:39Jantaa party has been in power for more
- 37:41than 17 and a half years. Batal G was
- 37:44their prime minister for 5 years, 13
- 37:46months, 30 days. Then 12 12 and a half
- 37:48year Mr. Modi has been the prime
- 37:50minister of India. For so long they
- 37:52couldn't provide evidence to the court
- 37:54that Mrs. Sona Gandhi could be
- 37:56convicted. The question is there has
- 37:58been no evidence. Where is the original
- 38:00application of form six through which
- 38:03allegedly Mrs. Sona Gandhi has become
- 38:05the voter in 1980. Where is the
- 38:07evidence? The court can decide the
- 38:09matter based on the evidence which have
- 38:11been provided to court.
- 38:13The next stage abas that's the next
- 38:16stage abas that stage can come if an
- 38:19investigation is ordered and FIR is
- 38:21registered which has not happened yet
- 38:23the court could come for 43 years 43
- 38:27years a person has been citizen of this
- 38:29country she's almost 80 now 43 years you
- 38:33couldn't find an FIR now in 26 you are
- 38:36dis then as a corerary you should not be
- 38:39objecting if an F is filed now difficult
- 38:42then as a corary you should not be
- 38:43objecting if if an F is filed now the
- 38:46law is not applicable and there is a
- 38:48political argument you know the
- 38:50Brazilian model did not come and vote
- 38:52the Brazilian model did not by herself
- 38:55put her name or it was not a it was
- 38:59a picture there and it was flagged it
- 39:03was flagged by the Hana chief electoral
- 39:06officer that the Congress party which is
- 39:08making a press conference of it did not
- 39:10bring it to the notice when they could
- 39:12have democrat No, no, no. When when
- 39:13Rahul Gandhi was talking about electoral
- 39:16malpractice, he said, "How is a
- 39:18Brazilian model in the electoral list,
- 39:21she's a Brazilian model
- 39:22>> and she was not
- 39:24Sonia Gandhi was
- 39:25>> Sonia Gandhi was an Italian citizen? How
- 39:28is her name if that no you are now you
- 39:31can't say you object to Brazilians but
- 39:33you're okay to Italians?"
- 39:36The logic is
- 39:38Brazilians cannot be but Italians can
- 39:41be.
- 39:42It is up to the court to decide who the
- 39:44court is going. So let the court let the
- 39:46court decide. Don't deny we we can't do
- 39:48TV is on the debate. Sudanchu Sudanchu
- 39:52this is this is hugely controvers
- 39:56which the our opponents are giving.
- 40:00It's a very amusing logics they are
- 40:02trying to give. He's saying that where
- 40:04is the original form six? The matter is
- 40:07whenever it will be investigated then
- 40:09the government will have to produce the
- 40:11record as has been said. But if he are
- 40:13saying that the original form six is not
- 40:15avail not available then it becomes a
- 40:18more severe issue that even without form
- 40:21six somebody has become the voter. What
- 40:24type of logic you are trying to give and
- 40:27>> instead of making your case strong you
- 40:29are further hitting on your own leg by
- 40:32giving this
- 40:34>> allegation on somebody
- 40:35>> who was the chidar in 1980 who was the
- 40:38chidar in 1980 using that logic
- 40:42>> to present in front of the court
- 40:51was never reluctant in assuming any
- 40:53political place here because she took 15
- 40:56years to acquire the citizenship
- 41:00December 1997
- 41:03otherwise politics
- 41:06after the sad demise of Rajiv Gandhi
- 41:08instead of she would have become the
- 41:10prime minister.
- 41:18She was never interested. First not
- 41:21interested in becoming the Indian
- 41:22citizen. Then she was not interested in
- 41:25assuming the leadership of Congress
- 41:26party. Then she was not interested and
- 41:28in what circumstances
- 41:31she decided to enter into politics in
- 41:33December 1997. And one more thing I
- 41:36would say in what circumstances
- 41:39that during the budget session of 1999
- 41:42after government has passed through the
- 41:44budget session the no confidence was
- 41:46brought because during budget session
- 41:48you can easily put down the government
- 41:50by any uh financial bill but after all
- 41:53financial bills were clear there are so
- 41:55many things that may come after 10 15
- 41:57years when some declassified documents
- 41:59will come then I think so many things
- 42:01may erupt. What is on the page is very
- 42:04clear that there was not only reluctance
- 42:07but there was some const going on at the
- 42:11time and it has to be upon by the court
- 42:14and I pressure
- 42:18and I coming under pressure from callers
- 42:20who saying
- 42:28the punishment up to seven years it's
- 42:31You first of
- 42:46person
- 43:03And now the year is celebrating the
- 43:05leadership of mine
- 43:09youth parliamentarians.
- 43:22I would like to state on record one
- 43:24minute that that smiti is a selfmade
- 43:28self-made professional. She is one of
- 43:31the leading leading entrepreneurs in the
- 43:34media sector of the country. She is also
- 43:37she has also been a very well- reggarded
- 43:39well- reggarded actor and you are
- 43:42jealous of her because unlike
- 43:54Priyanka
- 43:58degree.
- 44:3511 close people do not know whether they
- 44:38are citizen of India or not because of
- 44:41Ganesh Kumar because of your party and
- 44:44you are saying Gandhi 1980 1983
- 45:06There are 11 cr people who are either
- 45:10immigrants or illegal people here. So
- 45:14when are you throwing them backation?
- 45:17>> Do we have time? How can I answer?
- 45:20We have one minute. One minute on the
- 45:21debate. Two calls.
- 45:24They do not know what
- 45:42That we can understand as far as the
- 45:44technical aspect is concerned.
- 46:10You are allowed to argue not to heckle.
- 46:15You used to be a very civilized man
- 46:16earlier. Thank you.
- 46:28Russian cardific
- 46:40please. Audio control
- 46:46in Kerala. The election has happened and
- 46:49Shashi Tarur on record had said that the
- 46:52sir has helped Congress in Kerala
- 46:54because the vogus voters which has been
- 46:57entered into the voter list by the
- 46:59communist party has been deleted
- 47:03municipal corporation election
- 47:06elections it was conducted by the Kerala
- 47:09government by the Kerala state election
- 47:11commission we won and have you found any
- 47:15difference in the electoral roles which
- 47:17you used in the municipal corporation as
- 47:20well as it was used in the lockab
- 47:24then how you are blaming first and last
- 47:26caller Girish Mishra
- 47:28>> Hyderabad
- 47:29Girish quickly 10 seconds
- 47:31>> can I go ahead can I go ahead
- 47:32>> 10 seconds go ahead do it I feel very
- 47:35pity about this Congress and their
- 47:37supporters just because he said old
- 47:40chory the leader of opposition always
- 47:43said old jury where is his old from
- 47:46where did it Hey, no more time. Okay,
- 47:48Girish, Girish, this big this big this
- 47:50this is controversial. I think it will
- 47:52become bigger. Abhishek, I thank you for
- 47:54joining the segment tonight at 9:00.
- 47:56Priyanka, everyone, Abbas, Ratakar Gi,
- 47:58Pulara, Patabi and Sudan Chutradi, of
- 48:01course, thank you very much. Ladies and
- 48:03gentlemen, this is a current court case,
- 48:05but I always believe that cases may be
- 48:08in court, but there's also a court of
- 48:11public opinion, isn't there? I'll see
- 48:13you soon. Good night and goodbye.
- 48:35Gina
- 48:36refreshing swad
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