Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Face the issue

Sir, — It is quite obvious that the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, has chosen to rake up the foreign origin of the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, now in order to endear herself to the BJP (and the NDA) both for personal and political reasons. While one may question her motives, the fact remains that Ms. Gandhi's foreign origin is going to be a big issue in the next Lok Sabha polls.

Instead of finding fault with Ms. Jayalalithaa, the Congress should discuss the issue thoroughly at the party forum and see what they can do to avoid future embarrassments in this regard. It is a fact that Ms. Gandhi is the cementing factor that keeps the Congress together. The best option for her would be to remain as the king-maker and party president, and project some other Congress leader with an impeccable record as the Prime Ministerial candidate.

Raghav Venkatesh,

Gulbarga, Karnataka

Sir, — The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has asserted that she would not tolerate Sonia Gandhi, a `foreigner', becoming the Prime Minister. Can a `foreigner' become the leader of the Opposition in Parliament and be the president of the Congress, a national political party in our democracy? This simply means that Ms. Gandhi is not a foreigner today. Besides, everyone knows that she has acquired Indian citizenship after her marriage to Rajiv Gandhi.

Ms. Jayalalithaa's statement, if accepted and upheld, would have repercussions not only for Ms. Gandhi, but also for all those children born of Indian parents in foreign countries. If it is taken seriously, people who migrated to the Indian Union from Pakistan and are now Indians cannot hold responsible positions in our State and Central Governments.

J. John,

New Delhi

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