The Hindu : National : V.P. Singh rejects BJP's stand on foreign origin issue

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 26, 2004

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National

V.P. Singh rejects BJP's stand on foreign origin issue

By Our Special Correspondent

LUCKNOW, APRIL 25. The former Prime Minister, V P Singh, today rejected the BJP logic to debar Indian citizens of foreign origin from holding top constitutional positions. Mr. Singh told the press here that it was an ``insult'' to the citizenry to create two different categories of loyal and disloyal citizens. If loyalty was a matter of concern, persons of foreign origin could be debarred from being granted Indian citizenship. When some one was accepted as a citizen, it was illogical to restrict his rights on any other ground, Mr. Singh said.

Mr. Singh was here to extend his support to the independent candidate, Ram Jethmalani, against the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in the Lucknow constituency.

On the Ram temple issue, Article 370 of the Constitution and a common civil code, the BJP had changed its stand now. The changes, however, did not conform to the political record of the party.

``When during my Prime Ministership I talked of a solution of the Ayodhya tangle through talks, the BJP leaders said it was a matter of faith for them and not negotiable. Now they have started talking of negotiations and court verdict to resolve the issue. It is necessary for them to establish their credibility before their new stand is accepted for genuine,'' he said. When Gujarat riots took place, the BJP gave full protection to the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi. Now the same party was talking of Hindu-Muslim unity. In the current situation his first choice was the Left and parties such as the Janata Dal (S) of Karnataka. But where this choice was not available, his support was for the Congress.

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