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Debate With Arnab: Sonia Gandhi Becomes Citizen In 1983, But Voter in 1980! — Transcript

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  1. 0:08Refreshing.
  2. 0:18>> From the Republic Media Network
  3. 0:20headquarters, it's time for Arnab Gowami
  4. 0:23on the debate.
  5. 0:54Arnav Gowami on the debate.
  6. 1:00Tonight we must on the nation's sharpest
  7. 1:02opinion agree to debate one of the
  8. 1:06biggest and potentially
  9. 1:11one of the most unavoidable questions in
  10. 1:15Indian politics today.
  11. 1:18Did Sonia Gandhi
  12. 1:21get her name put in the electoral roles
  13. 1:24of India while she was still an Italian
  14. 1:27citizen?
  15. 1:29This is a question the Congress party
  16. 1:31has dodged for 45 years. A question that
  17. 1:34the Delhi court, a Delhi court has now
  18. 1:36forced open. And what is the question?
  19. 1:40The question is around Sonia Gandhi,
  20. 1:44an Italian citizen,
  21. 1:47ending up on India's electoral role in
  22. 1:501980,
  23. 1:52three full years before she applied and
  24. 1:54became an Indian citizen in 1983.
  25. 1:59So how can you get your name in an
  26. 2:01electoral role in India if you're an
  27. 2:03Italian citizen?
  28. 2:06What has happened is that on 21st
  29. 2:08September 2026 that is this Monday,
  30. 2:12special judge Vishal Gogna of the Rouse
  31. 2:14Avenue courts in Delhi, right set aside
  32. 2:19the order dated 11th September 2025
  33. 2:22passed by the additional chief judicial
  34. 2:24magistrate Webhav Churasia.
  35. 2:28Now earlier on 11th September 2025, Web
  36. 2:33of Chasia had dismissed a complaint
  37. 2:36filed by advocate Vikas Tripati vice
  38. 2:39president of the Central Delhi Cordbar
  39. 2:41Association seeking an FIR and
  40. 2:45investigation over alleged voter role
  41. 2:47forgery.
  42. 2:49Voter role forgery in the Vikas party
  43. 2:52versus Sonia Gandhi case. If you haven't
  44. 2:55heard about this case, this is the time
  45. 2:56to read up about it. Now, this Monday,
  46. 3:00Justice Gogna set aside that order by
  47. 3:03calling the previous order quote
  48. 3:06perverse and improper
  49. 3:09a quote non-speaking order on the
  50. 3:12question of disclosure of a cognisable
  51. 3:15offense unquote by Sonia Gandhi.
  52. 3:19What is making things complicated for
  53. 3:21Sonia Gandhi is that judge Gogna has
  54. 3:23ordered a fresh hearing.
  55. 3:26He says the nation wants to know was a
  56. 3:27cognisable offense committed.
  57. 3:30What documents forged to put a foreign
  58. 3:33citizen at that time? Sonia Gandhi a
  59. 3:37foreign citizen an Italian citizen on
  60. 3:41India's voter role.
  61. 3:44Let me give you the facts today in case
  62. 3:46you are shocked. Remember everything I'm
  63. 3:48telling you is opin not opinion. These
  64. 3:51are facts. Here are the facts.
  65. 3:54Sonia Gandhi is born in Italy.
  66. 3:59She's born as Antonia the Mino in Italy
  67. 4:04around 1945 1946.
  68. 4:07She marries Rajiv Gandhi in 1968 and
  69. 4:10then moves to India.
  70. 4:13Her
  71. 4:14mother-in-law is the prime minister of
  72. 4:16India. She lives in one subdarang road,
  73. 4:19the official residence of the prime
  74. 4:22minister of India.
  75. 4:24But she does not take Indian
  76. 4:25citizenship. She remains an Italian.
  77. 4:28In fact, she remains an Italian citizen
  78. 4:31not for one, not for two, not for five,
  79. 4:33not for 10. She remains an Italian
  80. 4:35citizen for a decade and a half, 15
  81. 4:38years.
  82. 4:41She does not take Indian citizenship.
  83. 4:43She did not take Indian citizenship
  84. 4:45until the 30th of April 1983. These are
  85. 4:49facts I'm telling you ladies and
  86. 4:51gentlemen.
  87. 4:53Congressman, there is no point getting
  88. 4:55angry. These are facts. This is on
  89. 4:57judicial record. Now the Alabad High
  90. 5:00Court has noted the facts. The Supreme
  91. 5:02Court of India has noted the facts.
  92. 5:06Sonia Gandhi got citizenship under
  93. 5:09section 51c of the citizenship act 1955.
  94. 5:13The date she gets is 30th April 1983.
  95. 5:18So you will say what is the problem? It
  96. 5:20is her choice. She wanted to remain an
  97. 5:22Italian citizen. Okay. The problem is in
  98. 5:25the document that I have with me.
  99. 5:29I have a document here.
  100. 5:31This document is from 1980.
  101. 5:35The electoral roles of New Delhi
  102. 5:37parliamentary constituency were revised.
  103. 5:40The qualifying date 1st of January 1980.
  104. 5:43And what do we find?
  105. 5:46We find Sonia Gandhi's name at serial
  106. 5:48number 388 polling station 145 address
  107. 5:52one subdarang road on the voter list.
  108. 5:58So an Italian citizen called Sonia
  109. 6:00Gandhi Antonia Dam the Mino is on the
  110. 6:02voter list in India. Who are the other
  111. 6:06names in that address?
  112. 6:09Who are the other names in that address?
  113. 6:12Ladies and gentlemen, Indra Gandhi,
  114. 6:15Prime Minister of India. Then 64 years
  115. 6:18old Rajiv Gandhi
  116. 6:22right
  117. 6:23son of Firos Gandhi 37 years old. Sanjay
  118. 6:26Gandhi 35 years old. Sonia Gandhi then
  119. 6:2935 years old and Maneka Gandhi then 28
  120. 6:32years old.
  121. 6:34Remember this is Sonia Gandhi's name.
  122. 6:36Sonia Gandhi is then an Italian citizen
  123. 6:39but she's on an Indian voter list. This
  124. 6:42is the issue here. There is no point if
  125. 6:45the Congress party says we are
  126. 6:46beingounded. This is wrong. Was a crime
  127. 6:49committed?
  128. 6:51Was the law broken? And what does the
  129. 6:54law say?
  130. 6:56The law says under article 326 of the
  131. 6:59Indian constitution section 16 of the
  132. 7:02representation of people's act 1950
  133. 7:04clearly says only an Indian citizen can
  134. 7:07be registered as a voter.
  135. 7:10A non-citizen is disqualified period. No
  136. 7:12ambiguity no gray area. Sonia Gandhi was
  137. 7:14a Italian citizen in 1980. Yes it had
  138. 7:19been 12 years since she had come to
  139. 7:20India but she was by choice an Italian
  140. 7:23citizen. You may be surprised how is she
  141. 7:26in the prime minister's why did she not
  142. 7:28take Indian citizenship I don't know
  143. 7:29it's a personal choice she chose to
  144. 7:32remain an Italian citizen till 1983
  145. 7:36she was Italian
  146. 7:38then the question comes was Sonia Gandhi
  147. 7:41therefore an Indian citizen 1980 no
  148. 7:44prime of essay she was an Italian
  149. 7:46citizen was her name on the voter list
  150. 7:49in 1990 allegedly yes serial number 388
  151. 7:53unless this document can be proven
  152. 7:55wrong. This is a substantial allegation
  153. 7:57against her which raises therefore five
  154. 8:00serious questions. Remember all of these
  155. 8:02are allegations. One, did Sonia Gandhi
  156. 8:04therefore commit the grievous crime of
  157. 8:06violating India's electoral rules? Is
  158. 8:09the document that is being shown around
  159. 8:11true or false?
  160. 8:14Was she a citizen of India only in 1983
  161. 8:18but her name was in the voter list in
  162. 8:201980?
  163. 8:22Was she not an Italian citizen in 1980?
  164. 8:25Are we wrong? Can she prove no, I was an
  165. 8:27Italian citizen? In which case, the case
  166. 8:29falls flat. Otherwise, it's a serious
  167. 8:31case. And is this therefore a very very
  168. 8:35sinister and worrying case
  169. 8:39of electoral malpractice?
  170. 8:43The nation wants to know. Let's debate.
  171. 8:49Sonia Gandhi water role controversy is
  172. 8:52back in the spotlight.
  173. 8:56The case centers on an alleged electoral
  174. 8:59role entry from 1980.
  175. 9:02According to the complaint, Sonia
  176. 9:04Gandhi's name appeared in the New Delhi
  177. 9:06constituency electoral role in 1980.
  178. 9:10The complaint further alleges that her
  179. 9:13name was deleted in 1982 and appeared
  180. 9:16again in 1983.
  181. 9:19the EO when Sonia Gandhi acquired Indian
  182. 9:22citizenship to be precise April 30th
  183. 9:251983.
  184. 9:28The central question raised before the
  185. 9:30court. How could her name have appeared
  186. 9:32on the electoral role before she
  187. 9:34acquired Indian citizenship?
  188. 9:37The complaint also alleged the use of
  189. 9:39forge documents.
  190. 9:41A magistrate had earlier rejected the
  191. 9:44police seeking an FIR and police
  192. 9:46investigation.
  193. 9:48However, the Sessions Court has now set
  194. 9:50aside that order.
  195. 9:53The court also called the September 25
  196. 9:56order non-speaking and lacking
  197. 9:59appropriate reasoning.
  198. 10:02The BJP has questioned how Sonia
  199. 10:04Gandhi's name could appear on the
  200. 10:07electoral roles before she became an
  201. 10:10Indian citizen.
  202. 10:111980
  203. 10:16Petition
  204. 10:181980
  205. 10:20Gandhi
  206. 10:22Hindustan
  207. 10:28Gandhi
  208. 10:301980
  209. 10:37forgery of documents
  210. 10:421983 Congress
  211. 10:54The court has remanded the matter back
  212. 10:56to the magistrate to pass a reasoned
  213. 10:59order after hearing fresh arguments.
  214. 11:14Abishek
  215. 11:16is with me here today. My colleague and
  216. 11:19senior executive editor of the network.
  217. 11:21Kabishek you know prami when I look at
  218. 11:24this case we go to the debate we have
  219. 11:26Sudan Chutradi of BJP Kumari of TDP
  220. 11:30praala Priyanka Kakar of Ahmedadmi party
  221. 11:32Abhasadra of Samwadi party Ratnakatra
  222. 11:34party of Congress and in support of
  223. 11:37Sonia Gandhi Pularo so we have a wide
  224. 11:39variety of participants here today uh
  225. 11:42what are the what is the core issue why
  226. 11:44this has become so major what is the
  227. 11:47what is the fundamental issue the BJP is
  228. 11:49trying to raise and is this become a
  229. 11:51particular vulnerability
  230. 11:53for Sonia Gandhi entire Congress
  231. 11:55ecosystem.
  232. 11:56>> Well, you you know you mentioned in your
  233. 11:58NSO whether the case stands or not. I
  234. 12:00would say the case actually stands and
  235. 12:02on a solid footing. Okay.
  236. 12:04>> Now you have in front of you the
  237. 12:05electoral role list the the the slip
  238. 12:07that is called from 1980.
  239. 12:10>> Yeah.
  240. 12:10>> It shows Sonia Gandhi as there enrolled
  241. 12:14as a voter.
  242. 12:15>> Yes.
  243. 12:16>> He became a citizen in 1983.
  244. 12:18>> Yeah.
  245. 12:18>> It's a fact not denied by the Congress
  246. 12:20party. not denied by the Gandhi family.
  247. 12:21So obviously this is an anomaly. This is
  248. 12:24electoral malpractice. Now the only
  249. 12:25technicality is whether Sonia Gandhi
  250. 12:28also voted because remember uh just
  251. 12:30because the name is there in the voters
  252. 12:32list does not primize prove that you
  253. 12:34have voted. So that's the only
  254. 12:36technicality but the first
  255. 12:38>> but it is still a malpractice.
  256. 12:39>> It is for sure a malpractice and
  257. 12:41>> that you got your name in the voters
  258. 12:42list when you were an Italian citizen.
  259. 12:44>> Yes. And that's not allowed. That should
  260. 12:46not have happened. And remember the
  261. 12:47those were the heydays. Indra Gandhi had
  262. 12:49just returned after uh
  263. 12:50>> she was prime minister.
  264. 12:51>> She was prime minister again after 1977
  265. 12:54Jantaa experiment and uh uh the Gandhis
  266. 12:58perhaps thought that they can get away
  267. 12:59with everything just like they could get
  268. 13:00away with.
  269. 13:01>> Are you saying the crime is also that of
  270. 13:03the prime minister of India then prime
  271. 13:05minister of India Indra Gandhi who
  272. 13:07allowed her daughter-in-law
  273. 13:10to her name to be put on the electoral
  274. 13:13roles while knowing that she was an
  275. 13:14Italian citizen. It's not possible that
  276. 13:16the prime minister's house and the prime
  277. 13:18minister's office and the defense media
  278. 13:20at that time would not have known the
  279. 13:21dhabar as it was
  280. 13:22>> this is this is then big let's pick this
  281. 13:24up right now uh ratnakarti just very
  282. 13:28briefly very briefly
  283. 13:30let's address the issue
  284. 13:34the issue is her name is in the
  285. 13:37electoral roles in the national capital
  286. 13:41of Delhi we have the polling station
  287. 13:42number the year the date the name
  288. 13:47right and the serial numbers
  289. 13:50which means this is a very big crime if
  290. 13:53it is true if it is not true why does
  291. 13:55Sonia Gandhi's office or the congress
  292. 13:57not deny it
  293. 14:00>> hey Dr. For me this is a subjudice
  294. 14:04matter and you Abishek Kapoor or Sudhani
  295. 14:08or anyone else on this panel doesn't
  296. 14:11have any right
  297. 14:13to draw any conclusion
  298. 14:16because earlier there was a different
  299. 14:18order and now the case has been handed
  300. 14:20back to the ACGM again to rehear it
  301. 14:26without a mandate or clear-cut
  302. 14:28instruction do this or do that. So this
  303. 14:32is a subjugus case. I would like to
  304. 14:34advise Mr. Thrivedi and VJP to in the
  305. 14:38meantime find out whether Javal Aru was
  306. 14:41a bonafide uh resident and citizen of
  307. 14:44India in 1952 or not. Why did he become
  308. 14:48the prime minister had he been a I mean
  309. 14:52the citizen of Laha or Islam? They
  310. 14:53should find out about this. This is the
  311. 14:56proper thing. In the meantime, they must
  312. 14:58find out whether Javal Lanu was a
  313. 15:01bonafideed citizen or not. That would be
  314. 15:04a major issue. And how does Sonia Gandhi
  315. 15:08was a citizen or not or justify the
  316. 15:12rapes in Jammu, Bihar?
  317. 15:16Three rapes, five rapes in 2 months, six
  318. 15:20rape in UP, rising prices today the you
  319. 15:25know the wholesale price of onion jumped
  320. 15:28to 135%.
  321. 15:32135%. How did this justify? Let the
  322. 15:35court come with come with an order and
  323. 15:38the Congress and the agreed party and
  324. 15:40the party who is defending will do it.
  325. 15:42Just
  326. 15:43>> I feel that despite coming to you first
  327. 15:46in the debate
  328. 15:49Dr. Thank you and I would like to now
  329. 15:51bring in the Sudanui.
  330. 15:54>> See one minute one minute one don't get
  331. 15:56worked up. I would I would like to now
  332. 15:59bring in Sudhanui.
  333. 16:01I just want to say here to everyone
  334. 16:02watching the program tonight, this is
  335. 16:04not a laughing matter. It is a very
  336. 16:06serious matter. I'm not laughing to
  337. 16:08Ratnakarati. I would like to say that I
  338. 16:10know the law better than you. I know the
  339. 16:13law better than you. I know I'm well
  340. 16:15within my rights to raise the question.
  341. 16:17So don't try to intimidate. Uh the fact
  342. 16:20is that the judiciary
  343. 16:24nothing else. You are trying to do a
  344. 16:26monkey trial here. Nothing else.
  345. 16:28>> Can I tell you one thing? I have no
  346. 16:30intention to pressurize the judiciary
  347. 16:32but I am a firm believer in bringing
  348. 16:35issues before through the media among
  349. 16:38the people. I've even told the chief
  350. 16:39justice of India sir I do believe in the
  351. 16:41media said it
  352. 16:43>> okay now now Sudhanui Sudanchu Sudhanui
  353. 16:46this was the state
  354. 16:48>> G can I have a very very civilized and
  355. 16:50sane and calm reasonable uh rational
  356. 16:54tell me how I am not univilized how do
  357. 16:57you feel that I'm not
  358. 16:58>> this is the problem Abhishek you know
  359. 17:00what happens is
  360. 17:02I am the most mature person on the
  361. 17:04screen right now but when others become
  362. 17:07immature people say why don't I am
  363. 17:09presently the most calm, patient and
  364. 17:11mature person on this
  365. 17:14told me. Thank you sir.
  366. 17:23Congress
  367. 17:40Now listen to me.
  368. 17:47Okay, Sudhani.
  369. 17:49Uh why is this a big issue? One, why are
  370. 17:52you are you raising it now? Why are you
  371. 17:54doing a national level press conference
  372. 17:56on this issue? And and do you do you
  373. 18:00really think that you can proceed
  374. 18:02against Sonia Gandhi or uh and file
  375. 18:05criminal charges against her for this?
  376. 18:10Uh the type of logic which uh G tried to
  377. 18:15give they are not just flimsy and
  378. 18:17ridiculous rather than he tried to make
  379. 18:19a of himself. As far as the issue
  380. 18:22is concerned, it's concerned with the
  381. 18:24one of the senior most politicians of
  382. 18:26the country who de facto ruled this
  383. 18:28country for about 10 10 years. And as
  384. 18:31far as the issue is concerned, it's not
  385. 18:33just the issue of one voter was there or
  386. 18:35not. This is not a technical issue. It
  387. 18:38is a very serious constitutional, moral
  388. 18:41and legal issue that how the Indian
  389. 18:44system has been made captive and what
  390. 18:47would have been the consequences if
  391. 18:50there someone else would have been there
  392. 18:52an ordinary person.
  393. 18:58If their government would have been
  394. 18:59there, they would have gone to make a
  395. 19:02constitutional amendment retrospectively
  396. 19:05like Sonia Gandhi when she has to resign
  397. 19:07in 2006 on the issue of office of profit
  398. 19:11because first Congress tried to target
  399. 19:13Ja Bachchan on the issue of office of
  400. 19:15profit because of some post given by the
  401. 19:17UP government because that was nothing
  402. 19:19but the personal animosity with Gandhi
  403. 19:22family and then suddenly
  404. 19:24This chairperson of the national
  405. 19:26advisory council has also fallen under
  406. 19:29the category of uh office of profit.
  407. 19:33Then what happened in the meantime when
  408. 19:36she went again for elect being elected
  409. 19:39as MP from Ryber in the meantime
  410. 19:41government of India amended the
  411. 19:43constitution
  412. 19:45from the retrospective aspect and taken
  413. 19:48the office of profit outside it.
  414. 20:031983
  415. 20:05Sanja Gandhi.
  416. 20:08Rajiv Gandhi was reluctant to join the
  417. 20:10politics but after a gate drill of
  418. 20:12persuasion and pressure he accepted that
  419. 20:16in 1982 he became member of parliament
  420. 20:19and after that he became designated
  421. 20:21successor of throne
  422. 20:29then I think the part the family would
  423. 20:31have thought now it is incumbent on the
  424. 20:34part of Sonia Gandhi to get the
  425. 20:35citizenship
  426. 20:44She has given an affidavit. Sir, let me
  427. 20:46complete one sentence. Uh, no. She has
  428. 20:49given an affidavit that she was having a
  429. 20:51degree from Cambridge. And then what
  430. 20:54happened when investigation was done?
  431. 20:57They said, "No, no, it was a Cambridge C
  432. 21:00school English. She's speaking school on
  433. 21:02the Cambridge street. It was a
  434. 21:03typography error.
  435. 21:122004. Sir just four instances
  436. 21:162004 she has sacrificed the post of
  437. 21:19prime ministership but we all remember
  438. 21:21in April 1999 after the fall of Waj
  439. 21:25government by just one vote Sonia G came
  440. 21:27out of and in front of Rashadi Bhan her
  441. 21:30bite is available we are having 272. So
  442. 21:33she was having all the aspiration to
  443. 21:35become the prime minister and
  444. 21:37subsequently as it was projected by the
  445. 21:39congressman that she denounced the power
  446. 21:42but she became cabinet minister and the
  447. 21:44rank of cabinet minister under the prime
  448. 21:46minister
  449. 21:49cabinet minister. So this is the history
  450. 21:51of congress party
  451. 21:53nothing new about it.
  452. 21:55>> We know it. It is not a history sir. One
  453. 21:58thing you have to tell me
  454. 21:59>> this is one of the five instances.
  455. 22:01>> No no no. July 25th, 2026, Justice Gome
  456. 22:05said, "Why are you bringing this 50-y
  457. 22:07old case before me? This is a
  458. 22:10limitations case." He said it. This no
  459. 22:13law in the books today will allow this
  460. 22:17case because they give another
  461. 22:19limitation. Why have you taken up such a
  462. 22:22case? Why 1984 case have been reopened
  463. 22:26or not? Couldn't you find anything?
  464. 22:32It's not the BJP that has taken up. It's
  465. 22:34it's it's the court which has taken up
  466. 22:36Polaro. It's the court which has
  467. 22:38>> shown us some regard. You should have
  468. 22:39shown us some regard that into this.
  469. 22:42>> No, no, listen just because it's it's
  470. 22:45important that I mention the court's the
  471. 22:47court's reasons of why it has ordered a
  472. 22:51reopening of the case. You know, uh let
  473. 22:53me just just quickly read it.
  474. 22:55>> Yeah. The court's concern was primarily
  475. 22:57with the manner in which the magistrate
  476. 22:59dealt with the complaint. Right. The
  477. 23:02special judge Vishal Gogna has described
  478. 23:05the earlier order as non-speaking. The
  479. 23:08sessions court the magistrate had not
  480. 23:11the court has said that the magistrate
  481. 23:13had not properly examined the
  482. 23:15allegations disclosed whether they were
  483. 23:18they constituted a cognisable offense or
  484. 23:20not. Instead had focused on the issue of
  485. 23:23citizenship. You know Sonia Gandhi did
  486. 23:26become citizen in 1983 but how come her
  487. 23:30name was in the electoral role in 1980
  488. 23:33that's the issue which the court or the
  489. 23:35magistrate's court did not look into and
  490. 23:37that's why this has been reopened now
  491. 23:40also it's a case of double geoperty
  492. 23:42because as I saw through the facts 1980
  493. 23:45her name is there in the list 1982 it
  494. 23:49gets removed 1983 it comes back again
  495. 23:52now the catch is Sonia Gandhi becomes
  496. 23:56citizen of the country on April 30th of
  497. 23:591983 Pularo
  498. 24:02and Ratnakatripati but the cut off date
  499. 24:06for that year's electoral role revision
  500. 24:09was January 1, 1983 which means still
  501. 24:13her name and the electoral roles came in
  502. 24:15even before she became citizen second
  503. 24:17time also and that's where the double
  504. 24:21geop party is and that's something with
  505. 24:23the Congress party and the Gandhi family
  506. 24:25has to explain.
  507. 24:26>> What what brilliantly put what is the
  508. 24:28court asking? Priyanka uh and and
  509. 24:32Abasar,
  510. 24:34what is the court asking? First, let us
  511. 24:36make it very clear that Sonia Gandhi's
  512. 24:39lawyer has been given the opportunity to
  513. 24:41argue. During the arguments, the judge
  514. 24:44asks Sonia Gandhi's lawyer, "How will
  515. 24:47you bypass the issue that Sonia Gandhi
  516. 24:52became a voter prior to becoming a
  517. 24:54citizen in 1983?" You cannot avoid that
  518. 24:58question.
  519. 24:59>> Yeah,
  520. 25:00>> this is the worst case of nepotism if
  521. 25:03true. And the critical point is the
  522. 25:06court did not itself order an FIR but it
  523. 25:09held that the power to consider such a
  524. 25:12request under section 1753 of the
  525. 25:14Parhyan Sanita rests with the
  526. 25:16magistrate. The magistrate must now pass
  527. 25:18a reasoned speaking order after hearing
  528. 25:20the complainant and the Delhi police. So
  529. 25:24this is a very wellargued case. You
  530. 25:25can't say Sonia Gandhi did not get a
  531. 25:27chance. The beauty of our system is we
  532. 25:30give a chance to everyone.
  533. 25:32But look at the seriousness of the
  534. 25:34matter. Italian citizen
  535. 25:37puts her name in the electoral roles
  536. 25:39>> twice. Twice.
  537. 25:42And let me tell you, I don't want to
  538. 25:45scare anyone, but section 337 of the BNS
  539. 25:49deals specifically with forgery of court
  540. 25:51records, public registers or government
  541. 25:52issued identity documents. And the bail
  542. 25:55status is nonvailable. So let's look at
  543. 25:57the seriousness of this also. Right?
  544. 25:59>> No, no, no, no, no. Don't get excited.
  545. 26:01This
  546. 26:02One small point.
  547. 26:03>> So you know what forgery means?
  548. 26:06>> No. See, it can't be.
  549. 26:07>> You know what forgery potentially means?
  550. 26:09>> Transferred. Criminal liability can't be
  551. 26:11transferred. She has nothing to do with
  552. 26:13it.
  553. 26:16Priyanka she's his argument is Sonia
  554. 26:18Gandhi can go and say my sec my my my
  555. 26:23mother mother-in-law was prime minister.
  556. 26:25Her secretary put my name did not ask
  557. 26:26me. The question is did she reap the
  558. 26:28benefits of having her name in the
  559. 26:30electoral loss? A B did she vote?
  560. 26:33Priyanka.
  561. 26:38>> Good evening to everyone and Bakup.
  562. 26:39There are certain legal as well as
  563. 26:42factual issues that I see in this
  564. 26:44debate. I mean, leave them aside. I'm
  565. 26:47saying if there was a fraud committed
  566. 26:48and if the case is opened after 46 years
  567. 26:50and there's an anomaly, it should be
  568. 26:52tested. Not an issue. But then we have
  569. 26:54to compare what the current BJP
  570. 26:55government has done with the laws. You
  571. 26:57see the election commissioner and the
  572. 26:58chief election commissioner. Now I have
  573. 27:00complete immunity from criminal and
  574. 27:02civil laws.
  575. 27:10They are not liable for anything. This
  576. 27:12is a very serious anomaly I would call
  577. 27:15it because you know maybe 50 years later
  578. 27:17you could implicate Ganesh Kumar in the
  579. 27:20criminal offenses. Anil Masi protect
  580. 27:22maybe 50 years later somebody could wake
  581. 27:24up and put a case on Ganesh Kumar and
  582. 27:27then he should be punished. But BJP has
  583. 27:29given complete immunity to that. I don't
  584. 27:31agree with that. So you see we're
  585. 27:33talking about an era where where it was
  586. 27:35no voters should be left behind to an
  587. 27:37era where most voters should be
  588. 27:40opposition votes should be deleted from
  589. 27:41the electoral list. 13 cr votes have
  590. 27:44been deleted. I think these are very
  591. 27:45pressing issue. I also think that BJP is
  592. 27:47trying to change the narrative because
  593. 27:50you know this issue does not connect
  594. 27:51with the Gen Z. We tell the BJP even if
  595. 27:53it's a good issue even if you know the
  596. 27:55even if it passes all the legal and all
  597. 27:57the factual
  598. 27:59difficulties obstacles that will come in
  599. 28:01this case and the magistrate has to pass
  600. 28:02a reasoned order at best which is a very
  601. 28:04normal routine thing sometimes it so
  602. 28:06happens that the orders are not speaking
  603. 28:08and the matters are remanded back and
  604. 28:09they have to pass a speaking order and
  605. 28:11they might again he might again dismiss
  606. 28:12this that is a very big possibility
  607. 28:14because there are many legal and fact
  608. 28:16I'm repeating this because I cannot say
  609. 28:18this enough that there are many legal
  610. 28:20and factual issues in this
  611. 28:20>> so you supporting Sonia Gandhi. What is
  612. 28:23important is no no I'm not I'm saying if
  613. 28:27there's a fraud committed I'm very glad
  614. 28:28that the case is over taken up after 46
  615. 28:30years but I'm saying that similarly
  616. 28:34>> you are saying that you are saying that
  617. 28:35irrespective of the facts of the case
  618. 28:37even if Sonia Gandhi was Italian when
  619. 28:39her name was in the electoral roles this
  620. 28:41issue is not important because Jenzi
  621. 28:43will not uh it won't matter to Jenzi
  622. 28:46>> so you are saying Jenzi does not care if
  623. 28:48an Italian votes in India
  624. 28:50>> what I'm saying you know you know very
  625. 28:51well what I've said
  626. 28:52>> or is qualified I am saying they're
  627. 28:53trying to digress the issue through
  628. 28:55this. I've I know
  629. 28:56>> digress from what?
  630. 28:57>> No, I've not spoken so simply.
  631. 29:01There's so many pressing issues.
  632. 29:04It's still burning. It's been more than
  633. 29:05two years. For example,
  634. 29:16>> I don't know if you're smarter than
  635. 29:17this. You're smarter than this and you
  636. 29:19know, so I'm just making a point. I am
  637. 29:22making a point.
  638. 29:23>> What? What? What? Tell me.
  639. 29:24>> Yes. I'm making a point that I am I am
  640. 29:27very happy about the fact I'm very happy
  641. 29:29about the fact that a fraud can be
  642. 29:31investigated after 50 years. But BJP has
  643. 29:34removed this provision from the existing
  644. 29:36laws and Ganesh Kumar's fraud will will
  645. 29:40go unpunished. That is what that is the
  646. 29:42point.
  647. 29:42>> I'll let Sudan respond. Imagine if
  648. 29:44>> I I I'll let
  649. 29:46>> any example of Ganesh Kumar putting a
  650. 29:48foreign national in the voters list.
  651. 29:50>> If there was if he want then we should
  652. 29:52put it out. If there is a case of Ganesh
  653. 29:54Kumar
  654. 29:54>> there was a Brazilian model.
  655. 29:55>> So Matthew Matthew Vandai should come
  656. 29:57out of come out of jail and vote in
  657. 29:59Chandi
  658. 30:02and you will be okay with it.
  659. 30:04>> Arnavu
  660. 30:06is on the debate. I think he wants to
  661. 30:07make a comeback
  662. 30:11as as far as
  663. 30:17as far as the present election
  664. 30:18commission of India and the electoral
  665. 30:20process of India is concerned to the
  666. 30:23utmost discomfort of our opponents they
  667. 30:26used to cherish and chest thumping on
  668. 30:28the issue of US President Trump. Now
  669. 30:31Trump had said that the Indian electoral
  670. 30:33system is very significant and very
  671. 30:35robust and the US should try to adopt
  672. 30:38this even they were communicating with
  673. 30:39the election commission of India because
  674. 30:41you were giving legitimacy to Trump. So
  675. 30:44now and as far as these type of logics
  676. 30:46which were given
  677. 30:53Gandhi 1983
  678. 30:56citizenship because she was having in
  679. 30:59mind smash patriarchy
  680. 31:01I will not like to follow my husband's
  681. 31:04house. Why I should follow the husband's
  682. 31:07country citizenship? I will not follow
  683. 31:10the patriarchy. She might be having
  684. 31:12something in her mind.
  685. 31:15That's why she took 15 years to come out
  686. 31:17of those things and entered into the
  687. 31:20patriarchy. And she didn't only change
  688. 31:23her surname, she changed the first name
  689. 31:25also.
  690. 31:28But as far as the technical aspect is
  691. 31:30concerned, it is very clear and serious
  692. 31:34that the prime minister of India, their
  693. 31:38own family was having an illegal
  694. 31:41unauthorized voter list.
  695. 31:47Foreign voters
  696. 31:56victory margin
  697. 32:03three times more than Rahul Gandhi's
  698. 32:05margin. Why? Because Assam CMT Vishu
  699. 32:08Sharma has said that Dubir is like a
  700. 32:10mini Bangladesh which has seen the
  701. 32:12biggest demographic change in the last
  702. 32:15couple of decades because of the foreign
  703. 32:17infiltrators and 2024 Congress leaders
  704. 32:21have written article in Bangladeshi
  705. 32:23newspaper Daily Star that Modi has to
  706. 32:25go. Why they were writing to Bangladeshi
  707. 32:28newspaper foreign
  708. 32:31the Congress party established by a
  709. 32:33foreigner Alen October for first 15
  710. 32:36years there were several Congress
  711. 32:38presidents who were foreigners like
  712. 32:40Alfred Robe William Venburn George
  713. 32:43Cartel and and several others so now
  714. 32:46it's very simple they can have a
  715. 32:49foreigner can have the citizenship
  716. 32:51foreign foreigner was having the
  717. 32:52presidentship and even they are getting
  718. 32:54the biggest
  719. 32:56victory margin from that area which is
  720. 32:58under serious suspicion that how many
  721. 33:01foreigners and foreign voters are there
  722. 33:04I don't think that in the present
  723. 33:06context of the Brazilian model
  724. 33:08>> the Brazilian model example
  725. 33:11>> Abhishek what is the the Brazilian model
  726. 33:14example is raised by Priyanka
  727. 33:16>> in that case arguing on vote chory the
  728. 33:19Congress party says that a Brazilian
  729. 33:21model's name is in the electoral roles
  730. 33:24This was Rahul Gandhi said on stage, how
  731. 33:26can a Brazilian be in the electoral
  732. 33:28roles
  733. 33:30equally? It can be argued.
  734. 33:34How did an Italian get into the
  735. 33:35electoral roles?
  736. 33:43But no one was punished.
  737. 33:48This is going to get very interesting.
  738. 33:49Yeah. Pardon me.
  739. 33:51>> Yeah. On the here we are talking about a
  740. 33:54person who has been a de facto prime
  741. 33:57minister of this country for 10 years
  742. 34:00and this is a very serious crime she had
  743. 34:03committed. See for any person to get
  744. 34:06enrolled as a voter in this country they
  745. 34:09have to fill a form called as form six.
  746. 34:14This has been there right from 1950 when
  747. 34:17election commission got into existence.
  748. 34:20>> In form six, in form six or it is
  749. 34:24required for a person who wants to
  750. 34:26enroll as a voter to declare that he or
  751. 34:30she is a citizen of India. You have a
  752. 34:33column in form six where you have to
  753. 34:35declare that I am a citizen of India and
  754. 34:38you have to sign. It is only after you
  755. 34:41declare that you are a citizen of India
  756. 34:44and you sign on the form six that you
  757. 34:46are enrolled as a voter in this country.
  758. 34:49So if Sonia Gandhi's name appeared in
  759. 34:53voter number 388 of polling station 145
  760. 34:58then it is only after she had signed
  761. 35:00this form six. It is not that any
  762. 35:02secretary can fill her name and you know
  763. 35:05get it into the voter list. So Sonia
  764. 35:08Gandhi deliberately gave a false
  765. 35:11declaration on form six and she is
  766. 35:13punishable today. She has to be punished
  767. 35:17as per the section 31 of representation
  768. 35:19of people's act 1950. She is punishable
  769. 35:23as per BNS. She is punishable because
  770. 35:26she had given a false declaration on
  771. 35:29form six. The issues the case is very
  772. 35:32simple here. So Sonia Gandhi cannot
  773. 35:35escape today because she had given a
  774. 35:38false declaration not once but twice. In
  775. 35:401980 February 1983 her name again
  776. 35:43appeared in voter number 236 of polling
  777. 35:46station 140 of the Tuklra booth. So it
  778. 35:49is not once but twice that she had given
  779. 35:52a false declaration even before becoming
  780. 35:54a citizen of India. How can she sign
  781. 35:57this form six stating that she is a
  782. 35:59citizen of India?
  783. 36:02So it is a very grave crime that Sonia
  784. 36:03Gandhi had committed and she has to be
  785. 36:05punished and all these things will come
  786. 36:07out in the open. And the second thing is
  787. 36:10Ornab for 15 years she never wanted to
  788. 36:14be a
  789. 36:15>> the BJP has been in been in power for 12
  790. 36:17years
  791. 36:19>> or more than 12 years. The why have you
  792. 36:21woken up now? No see it is now the court
  793. 36:26now which has you know given this these
  794. 36:28instructions and which has asked to
  795. 36:30reopen this case and now this has case
  796. 36:32has come out in the open and it has to
  797. 36:35be investigated now
  798. 36:36>> and all these facts
  799. 36:38>> okay come out in the open and she has to
  800. 36:40be punished
  801. 36:40>> now now guys this is going to get
  802. 36:42controversial right I find I'm asking
  803. 36:44tonight have two versus four with two
  804. 36:47debaters on one side Sudhanu and Patabir
  805. 36:50Kumari have they won the debate
  806. 36:52Abbas in terms of facts not not bland
  807. 36:56denials they come armed with facts today
  808. 36:59what counter do you have if any of your
  809. 37:02of the of the supreme leader of your
  810. 37:04alliance party
  811. 37:06>> well Mr. Gowami a fresh hearing is not a
  812. 37:10conviction it's not even an FIR that has
  813. 37:12been ordered by the honorable court
  814. 37:14there has been no evidence that the
  815. 37:16court has confirmed that Mrs. Sonia
  816. 37:18Gandhi has forged any document. The
  817. 37:20question here is
  818. 37:21>> knowing that she's a public figure, why
  819. 37:23is the Congress not issuing a denial?
  820. 37:25>> 17 years.
  821. 37:26>> Congress is saying,
  822. 37:27>> Congress is saying wait. Congress is
  823. 37:29saying it's a stale case. It is not
  824. 37:33denying. It is not denying. Why is it
  825. 37:36not denying?
  826. 37:37>> No, no. I am saying that the Bharti
  827. 37:39Jantaa party has been in power for more
  828. 37:41than 17 and a half years. Batal G was
  829. 37:44their prime minister for 5 years, 13
  830. 37:46months, 30 days. Then 12 12 and a half
  831. 37:48year Mr. Modi has been the prime
  832. 37:50minister of India. For so long they
  833. 37:52couldn't provide evidence to the court
  834. 37:54that Mrs. Sona Gandhi could be
  835. 37:56convicted. The question is there has
  836. 37:58been no evidence. Where is the original
  837. 38:00application of form six through which
  838. 38:03allegedly Mrs. Sona Gandhi has become
  839. 38:05the voter in 1980. Where is the
  840. 38:07evidence? The court can decide the
  841. 38:09matter based on the evidence which have
  842. 38:11been provided to court.
  843. 38:13The next stage abas that's the next
  844. 38:16stage abas that stage can come if an
  845. 38:19investigation is ordered and FIR is
  846. 38:21registered which has not happened yet
  847. 38:23the court could come for 43 years 43
  848. 38:27years a person has been citizen of this
  849. 38:29country she's almost 80 now 43 years you
  850. 38:33couldn't find an FIR now in 26 you are
  851. 38:36dis then as a corerary you should not be
  852. 38:39objecting if an F is filed now difficult
  853. 38:42then as a corary you should not be
  854. 38:43objecting if if an F is filed now the
  855. 38:46law is not applicable and there is a
  856. 38:48political argument you know the
  857. 38:50Brazilian model did not come and vote
  858. 38:52the Brazilian model did not by herself
  859. 38:55put her name or it was not a it was
  860. 38:59a picture there and it was flagged it
  861. 39:03was flagged by the Hana chief electoral
  862. 39:06officer that the Congress party which is
  863. 39:08making a press conference of it did not
  864. 39:10bring it to the notice when they could
  865. 39:12have democrat No, no, no. When when
  866. 39:13Rahul Gandhi was talking about electoral
  867. 39:16malpractice, he said, "How is a
  868. 39:18Brazilian model in the electoral list,
  869. 39:21she's a Brazilian model
  870. 39:22>> and she was not
  871. 39:24Sonia Gandhi was
  872. 39:25>> Sonia Gandhi was an Italian citizen? How
  873. 39:28is her name if that no you are now you
  874. 39:31can't say you object to Brazilians but
  875. 39:33you're okay to Italians?"
  876. 39:36The logic is
  877. 39:38Brazilians cannot be but Italians can
  878. 39:41be.
  879. 39:42It is up to the court to decide who the
  880. 39:44court is going. So let the court let the
  881. 39:46court decide. Don't deny we we can't do
  882. 39:48TV is on the debate. Sudanchu Sudanchu
  883. 39:52this is this is hugely controvers
  884. 39:56which the our opponents are giving.
  885. 40:00It's a very amusing logics they are
  886. 40:02trying to give. He's saying that where
  887. 40:04is the original form six? The matter is
  888. 40:07whenever it will be investigated then
  889. 40:09the government will have to produce the
  890. 40:11record as has been said. But if he are
  891. 40:13saying that the original form six is not
  892. 40:15avail not available then it becomes a
  893. 40:18more severe issue that even without form
  894. 40:21six somebody has become the voter. What
  895. 40:24type of logic you are trying to give and
  896. 40:27>> instead of making your case strong you
  897. 40:29are further hitting on your own leg by
  898. 40:32giving this
  899. 40:34>> allegation on somebody
  900. 40:35>> who was the chidar in 1980 who was the
  901. 40:38chidar in 1980 using that logic
  902. 40:42>> to present in front of the court
  903. 40:51was never reluctant in assuming any
  904. 40:53political place here because she took 15
  905. 40:56years to acquire the citizenship
  906. 41:00December 1997
  907. 41:03otherwise politics
  908. 41:06after the sad demise of Rajiv Gandhi
  909. 41:08instead of she would have become the
  910. 41:10prime minister.
  911. 41:18She was never interested. First not
  912. 41:21interested in becoming the Indian
  913. 41:22citizen. Then she was not interested in
  914. 41:25assuming the leadership of Congress
  915. 41:26party. Then she was not interested and
  916. 41:28in what circumstances
  917. 41:31she decided to enter into politics in
  918. 41:33December 1997. And one more thing I
  919. 41:36would say in what circumstances
  920. 41:39that during the budget session of 1999
  921. 41:42after government has passed through the
  922. 41:44budget session the no confidence was
  923. 41:46brought because during budget session
  924. 41:48you can easily put down the government
  925. 41:50by any uh financial bill but after all
  926. 41:53financial bills were clear there are so
  927. 41:55many things that may come after 10 15
  928. 41:57years when some declassified documents
  929. 41:59will come then I think so many things
  930. 42:01may erupt. What is on the page is very
  931. 42:04clear that there was not only reluctance
  932. 42:07but there was some const going on at the
  933. 42:11time and it has to be upon by the court
  934. 42:14and I pressure
  935. 42:18and I coming under pressure from callers
  936. 42:20who saying
  937. 42:28the punishment up to seven years it's
  938. 42:31You first of
  939. 42:46person
  940. 43:03And now the year is celebrating the
  941. 43:05leadership of mine
  942. 43:09youth parliamentarians.
  943. 43:22I would like to state on record one
  944. 43:24minute that that smiti is a selfmade
  945. 43:28self-made professional. She is one of
  946. 43:31the leading leading entrepreneurs in the
  947. 43:34media sector of the country. She is also
  948. 43:37she has also been a very well- reggarded
  949. 43:39well- reggarded actor and you are
  950. 43:42jealous of her because unlike
  951. 43:54Priyanka
  952. 43:58degree.
  953. 44:3511 close people do not know whether they
  954. 44:38are citizen of India or not because of
  955. 44:41Ganesh Kumar because of your party and
  956. 44:44you are saying Gandhi 1980 1983
  957. 45:06There are 11 cr people who are either
  958. 45:10immigrants or illegal people here. So
  959. 45:14when are you throwing them backation?
  960. 45:17>> Do we have time? How can I answer?
  961. 45:20We have one minute. One minute on the
  962. 45:21debate. Two calls.
  963. 45:24They do not know what
  964. 45:42That we can understand as far as the
  965. 45:44technical aspect is concerned.
  966. 46:10You are allowed to argue not to heckle.
  967. 46:15You used to be a very civilized man
  968. 46:16earlier. Thank you.
  969. 46:28Russian cardific
  970. 46:40please. Audio control
  971. 46:46in Kerala. The election has happened and
  972. 46:49Shashi Tarur on record had said that the
  973. 46:52sir has helped Congress in Kerala
  974. 46:54because the vogus voters which has been
  975. 46:57entered into the voter list by the
  976. 46:59communist party has been deleted
  977. 47:03municipal corporation election
  978. 47:06elections it was conducted by the Kerala
  979. 47:09government by the Kerala state election
  980. 47:11commission we won and have you found any
  981. 47:15difference in the electoral roles which
  982. 47:17you used in the municipal corporation as
  983. 47:20well as it was used in the lockab
  984. 47:24then how you are blaming first and last
  985. 47:26caller Girish Mishra
  986. 47:28>> Hyderabad
  987. 47:29Girish quickly 10 seconds
  988. 47:31>> can I go ahead can I go ahead
  989. 47:32>> 10 seconds go ahead do it I feel very
  990. 47:35pity about this Congress and their
  991. 47:37supporters just because he said old
  992. 47:40chory the leader of opposition always
  993. 47:43said old jury where is his old from
  994. 47:46where did it Hey, no more time. Okay,
  995. 47:48Girish, Girish, this big this big this
  996. 47:50this is controversial. I think it will
  997. 47:52become bigger. Abhishek, I thank you for
  998. 47:54joining the segment tonight at 9:00.
  999. 47:56Priyanka, everyone, Abbas, Ratakar Gi,
  1000. 47:58Pulara, Patabi and Sudan Chutradi, of
  1001. 48:01course, thank you very much. Ladies and
  1002. 48:03gentlemen, this is a current court case,
  1003. 48:05but I always believe that cases may be
  1004. 48:08in court, but there's also a court of
  1005. 48:11public opinion, isn't there? I'll see
  1006. 48:13you soon. Good night and goodbye.
  1007. 48:35Gina
  1008. 48:36refreshing swad

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