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Sonia's citizenship in perfect order, says Advani

Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani today set at rest speculation about procedures regarding Congress president Sonia Gandhi's citizenship, saying she became a citizen of India in 1983 as per the law.

"I have seen the records. There is no anomaly. All the formalities were completed. She had renounced her Italian citizenship and duly deposited her Italian passport. A minor condition, however, was waived by the government. It was about her continuous stay in India for three years at the time of application for citizenship. At that time, she had not stayed continuously for three years as she had been visiting Italy where her parents stayed. Even otherwise, she had been staying in India for more than a decade by then," he said.

"Sonia Gandhi's name had been added to the electoral list even before she had acquired the citizenship of India. However, it was subsequently struck off," he added.

But Advani asserted, "The real issue is not that of anyone acquiring Indian citizenship, but whether one born outside India should be allowed to occupy the country's highest offices."

"And this issue has turned out to be of paramount importance now. It will tremendously affect the country's politics, especially the Congress party, and we will take this issue to the people in the coming Lok Sabha election," he added.

Advani pointed out that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance was contemplating the incorporation in its manifesto of the issue of disallowing those born outside India from occupying the highest offices in the country, as was the case in "many other nations".

Only natural-born Indian citizens should occupy the offices of President, vice-president and prime minister of the country, he said.

Citing an example, the home minister said that when he talked to an ordinary man in Rajasthan recently about how he felt if Sonia Gandhi became the prime minister, the man said there was not much wrong in it. "Unko khazaane kee chhabhi to de sakte hein, lekin raksha kee nahin (We can entrust her with the treasures of the country, but not with its defence)."

UNI

ALSO SEE:
'From Mahatma Gandhi to Madam Gandhi'

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