Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday hit back at Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy for questioning his nationality and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of mud-slinging via his "cronies". He also dared the central government to launch an investigation and jail him if he is found guilty.

Addressing a Youth Congress gathering on the occasion of the 98th birth anniversary of Indira Gandhi, Gandhi also accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the BJP of insulting his family members ever since he was a child. He said that he is "not going to be scared" by such allegations and will continue to fight against BJP.

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On Monday, Swamy had accused Gandhi of declaring himself a British citizen to start a company in the United Kingdom. Swamy also wrote to the prime minister demanding that Gandhi be stripped of his Indian citizenship as well as his parliamentary membership.

Following Gandhi's remarks, Swamy demanded an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation or the Enforcement Directorate into the matter. He also took a dig at Gandhi, saying, "Whether he is right or not, [the] police will [arrest] him. He will not go [to jail] on his own will."