Veteran BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has once again launched a scathing attack on Congress’s Supremo and MP Sonia Gandhi, accusing her of falsely claiming to have studied at Cambridge University. He has urged the BJP to initiate a motion seeking the cancellation of her Rajya Sabha membership.
In a post,dated 23 July 2025, Swamy wrote, “Ms. Sonia Gandhi has again in the Rajya Sabha Who’s Who claimed she studied in Cambridge University. Liar. BJP should move a motion to cancel her Rajya Sabha seat.”
Ms. Sonia Gandhi has again in the Rajya Sabha Who’s Who claimed she studied in Cambridge University. Liar. BJP should move a motion to cancel her Rajya Sabha seat. pic.twitter.com/EwR6mcxnII
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) July 23, 2025
This controversy marks another chapter in the long-standing conflict between Swamy and Sonia Gandhi. The issue initially came to the forefront in August 2020, when Swamy filed a formal complaint with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, accusing the Congress leader of reintroducing a previously debunked claim of having attended Cambridge University in her profile for the 17th Lok Sabha.
In his letter, Swamy stated, “I am enclosing with this letter a copy of Smt. Sonia Gandhi’s Bio profile for the 17th Lok Sabha “Who’s Who” publication of the Lok Sabha Secretariat. Therein once again, Ms. Sonia Gandhi has falsely stated that in 1965 she had obtained a certificate in English Language from the University of Cambridge” Swamy reminded that he had originally raised this matter in 2000, when Sonia Gandhi was first found to have listed the alleged Cambridge credential. At that time, Congress leaders dismissed the error as a typographical oversight and requested leniency.
Swamy recalled that he had taken the issue to the Supreme Court, where the bench led by then Chief Justice Balakrishnan advised him to show restraint since Sonia Gandhi had agreed not to repeat the false claim. “On that assurance, I agreed to withdraw the case without seeking punitive action,” Swamy noted.
However, Swamy pointed out that Sonia’s profiles for the 15th and 16th Lok Sabha did not include the Cambridge reference, suggesting that the recent inclusion was a deliberate reintroduction of the misleading claim. He emphasized his willingness to present evidence before Parliament’s Ethics Committee.
On 2 August 2020, Swamy tweeted, “Some habits die hard !TDK again bluffs on her educational qualification in the Lok Sabha Who’s Who !!! I have written to the Lok Sabha Speaker to refer the matter to the Ethics Committee !”
Some habits die hard !TDK again bluffs on her educational qualification in the Lok Sabha Who’s Who !!! I have written to the Lok Sabha Speaker to refer the matter to the Ethics Committee ! pic.twitter.com/1nHVrq1V8d
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) August 2, 2020
The core of Swamy’s argument is that Sonia Gandhi never attended Cambridge University but completed a short English language course at a local institution in Cambridge known as the Lennox Cook School, which ceased operations in 1967. Swamy asserts that this course was mistakenly or deliberately misrepresented as a Cambridge University qualification.
Previously, Swamy’s petitions were dismissed by the Allahabad High Court on technical grounds, citing that he was not a constituent from Sonia Gandhi’s electoral region. However, the Supreme Court later ruled that he had the standing to pursue the case, although it encouraged a resolution in light of her supposed correction. At the time, Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee defended the claim as a simple typographical error which Swamy sarcastically dubbed “the world’s largest typing error.”
(With inputs from Pgurus)
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