Aurangabad, Aug 26: Hitting out at Congress president Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today said that the people of India would never allow a person with alien roots to occupy the post of prime minister or other high offices. Addressing a mammoth public rally here, Advani said even in the united states there were provisions prohibiting people of foreign origin from occupying constitutional offices.

He said that Sonia in 1999 had claimed the support of 272 MPs after the Vajpayee government fell by a single vote. Perhaps had it not been her and somebody else in her place would have come to power, he said.

Advani said that there were divisions within the Congress Party over Sonia becoming the prime minister as was evident from the split in the party.

The Deputy Prime Minister also charged Sonia with being "bitter and arrogant" during the no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha against the Vajpayee government last week.
The motion enabled the BJP to list its achievements besides allowing Defence Minister George Fernandes, who was being boycotted by the Opposition, to put across his views in Lok Sabha, he said.

Bureau Report