The Hindu : TDP rakes up Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin issue again

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 05, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

TDP rakes up Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin issue again

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, FEB. 4. The Telugu Desam Party has once again raked up the issue of Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin saying that these persons should be barred from contesting for high constitutional posts such as that of the President and Prime Minister.

Asserting that the TDP's repeated references to the issue was no sign that it feared losing to the Congress in the elections, the Revenue Minister, P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, and the Panchayat Raj Minister, N. Janardhan Reddy, said they were only stating that `India is for Indians.' The TDP had no quarrel with the Congress if it chose to make Ms. Gandhi the party president but it would oppose a person of foreign origin becoming Prime Minister.

Talking to reporters here today, they said that after witnessing the goings-on in the Congress, they had no fear of the Congress and, least of all, Ms. Sonia Gandhi who had no knowledge of Telugu language and its culture not to speak of her understanding of national politics.

The Ministers said they had raised the issue before the 1999 elections and again now because the Congress is trying to project her as the Prime Ministerial candidate. However, this was one among the several issues that the TDP had been highlighting in the run-up to the elections.

Asked to comment on the reported statement of the Textiles Minister, Padala Bhumanna, that there was corruption in the TDP and that the feedback to the high command was `rigged,' Mr. Gajapathi Raju retorted `do I look corrupt.' He maintained that corruption is an issue concerning every field. While the TDP leaders never claimed to be paragons of virtue and truth, the party's functioning was completely transparent.

Earlier, the Ministers released audio cassettes of a set of eight songs to be played during the cycle rallies being organised in connection with the TDP's "jhanda panduga" (festival of flags) in all the 294 Assembly constituencies from February 9 to 15.

During this week-long campaign, party functionaries at all levels will participate in these rallies in cities, towns and villages after hoisting the TDP's yellow flag atop their houses. They will also participate in flag hoisting functions at each village square and road junctions and explain to the local populace the achievements of the TDP Government.

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