Court grants Rahul Gandhi permission to obtain fresh passport
Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Friday granted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi a no objection certificate (NOC) for three years to apply for a fresh "ordinary passport," reported ANI. This comes after Gandhi sought the certificate for a fresh passport on Tuesday. Notably, he surrendered his diplomatic passport after being disqualified as a Lok Sabha MP on March 26.
Why does this story matter?
Gandhi's plea for the passport came days before his visit to the United States. He is scheduled to address a public rally in New York on June 4, concluding his week-long tour that also includes a speech at Stanford University. He surrendered his existing passport after he was found guilty of criminal defamation for the remarks he made against PM Narendra Modi in 2019.
Subramanian Swamy opposed Gandhi's plea
Following Gandhi's plea, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and senior advocate Subramanian Swamy opposed it, saying the applicant had no valid reason for the passport to be issued for 10 years. He argued that a NOC for the applicant's passport may not be over a year and may be reviewed annually or as deemed fit by the court.
Allowing Gandhi to travel abroad could hinder ongoing probes: Swamy
Swamy's argument also highlighted the National Herald case. He said that as the case was pending against Gandhi, allowing him to travel abroad could hinder the ongoing probe. "The right to hold a passport, like all other fundamental rights, is not an absolute right and is subject to the government's reasonable restrictions," he added. Meanwhile, Gandhi said no criminal cases were pending against him.
Gandhi exercising fundamental right to travel: Court
The court dismissed Swamy's request, saying Gandhi had been exercising his fundamental right to travel for years. There was no such apprehension that he will abscond, the court added. Notably, a Surat court convicted the Congress leader in a criminal defamation case, which stemmed from his "Modi surname" remarks made during the 2019 election campaigns.
