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Making Sonia a PM candidate itself a security threat: Ahluwalia

Former Union minister S S Ahluwalia today said the projection of Sonia Gandhi as a prime ministerial candidate itself was a serious ''security threat'' and that the ''foreigner issue'' was still relevant in the elections.

Ahluwalia, a Congressman who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party recently, told a press conference that Sonia Gandhi's Italian citizenship was not frozen after she accepted Indian nationality. Her remark that Amethi was her second home meant that she accepted Italy as her first home, he said.

Stating that it was beyond the Gandhi's 'capacity' to understand the Indian topography and psyche, he said the real test would be when the interests of India and Italy clashed. It was common knowledge that Snam Progetti, a company owned by Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrochhi, had cornered many consultancy assignments from India when she was an occupant of the prime minister's residence.

If one were to dig deep enough, it would be uncomfortable for the Congress, he said. Ahluwalia said he joined the BJP after 32 years in the Congress because the latter party was moving closer to communists. The BJP was the only party which had a "nationalistic and patriotic" approach, he said.

Ahluwalia, once a prominent speaker on the Congress's behalf, said he was now pained at the attitude of the Congress when the Pokhran tests were carried out and the country was fighting Pakistan in Kargil.

The Congress's discriminatory attitude towards the killing of Sikhs also was one reason for his quitting that party, he said, adding, it was only "pained" about the killing of Sikhs in 1984 but was "sorry" when it came to protecting the Babri Masjid.

Ahluwalia said he had moved an amendment against this but had to withdraw it after Madhav Rao Scindia persuaded him, he said.

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