Swami will move SC for cancelling Sonia citizenship

By Our Special Correspondent

MADURAI, SEPT. 16. The Janata Party president, Dr. Subramanian Swamy, will file a petition in the Supreme Court seeking cancellation of the citizenship granted to the Congress president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi.

Talking to newspersons here today, he claimed that the September 12 verdict, which upheld the decision of the Allahabad High Court, ``is adverse to her.'' Arguing that the apex court had ruled that the grant of citizenship could be challenged with supportive evidence, Dr. Swamy said he would question her citizenship on three counts. These would include the contention that Ms. Gandhi had ``withheld material facts'' from the Government while obtaining citizenship and did not declare that she had renounced Italian citizenship.

The Janata Party president felt that the Prime Minister, Mr. A. B. Vajpayee, should be decisive in supporting the United States in its war on terrorism.

Dr. Swamy said the time had come to form a ``patriotic, democratic alternative'' to the National Democratic Alliance and the Congress. Soon 15 leaders of various parties would meet in New Delhi to form an ``alternative.'' An announcement would be made on September 21.

In Tamil Nadu, the Janata Party foresees a political crisis in the event of the Supreme Court directing Ms. Jayalalithaa to step down as Chief Minister.

Dr. Swamy said if the AIADMK legislature party proposed her name again, there would be no alternative to imposing President's rule. In that eventuality, the AIADMK would split, he said.

Dr. Swamy said the DMK president, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, had a duty to consolidate the democratic forces to defeat the ``autocratic alliance'' led by Ms. Jayalalithaa in the elections to local bodies.

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Section  : Southern States
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