Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday challenged the Modi government to order a probe against him i... Read More

NEW DELHI: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday challenged the Modi government to order a probe against him in connection with allegations of BJP leader Subramanian Swamy that Gandhi had declared himself to be a British citizen in the registration papers of a private company in London.

"You talk of a 56-inch chest. Probe me, then put me behind bars. I want to tell Modiji and the RSS that I do not have the slightest of fear," a combative Congress vice-president told the Prime Minister, hitting back at recent allegations questioning his nationality.

"Modiji, it is your government. You have the agencies. Get a probe done against me within 6 months and send me behind bars if you find something. Stop all this — the mud that you throw at me and my family through your cronies. You are not in opposition, you are in government now," Gandhi said.

Addressing a national convention of the Youth Congress on the occasion of 98th birth anniversary of Indira Gandhi , he said amidst cheers from the gathering that "there is not an iota of truth," in an apparent reference to the allegations levelled by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy .

Gandhi accused the RSS and the BJP of throwing mud on his family members. He had seen that ever since he was a child, asserting that he is "not going to be scared" by such things and that he will continue to fight against BJP.

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Swamy on Monday had released documents purportedly showing that Gandhi had claimed himself to be a British national before the company law authorities there for setting up a company. He had demanded that Gandhi be stripped of his Indian citizenship and Lok Sabha membership.

Claiming that his documents of Gandhi's purported declaration before British authorities were authentic, Swamy said Rahul had failed to disclose in his affidavit as a candidate for Lok Sabha elections in 2009 that he was not a citizen of India or that he had set up a company called 'Backups' in Britain.

Latching on to Swamy's allegation, BJP on Tuesday demanded that Gandhi should come clean as the explanation given by Congress was not convincing. "Any elected Indian leader should give a clarification. We seek an explanation from Rahul Gandhi as these are legal documents and have legal repercussions as well. The statement needs to be made by none other than Rahul Gandhi. He needs to come clean on this," BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi told reporters.

Congress on its part, has dismissed as "entirely false" the BJP allegation. "From the day he was born, Rahul Gandhi has held Indian citizenship and Indian passport and has never held citizenship of any other country nor has he represented as such. The allegation made by Dr Swamy is entirely false," party's chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala had said on Monday.

(With inputs from agencies)