Jaipur: BJP state president Madan Rathore Tuesday attacked Congress over its protest in Delhi against Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, questioning Congress MP Sonia Gandhi’s citizenship and the timing of her inclusion as a voter.Speaking to the media at BJP headquarters, Rathore said that had a process like SIR existed at the time, Gandhi would not have been able to become a voter because, according to him, she became an Indian citizen later but was enrolled as a voter earlier.Rathore accused the Opposition of trying to create a wrong perception about Election Commission and said those opposing SIR should first clarify who should have the right to vote.He said, “People whose roots were connected to India, whose families and ancestors had been citizens of the country and whose loyalty was towards India should have the right to choose its govt.”Rathore said a person who comes from outside and uses India only for personal benefit and treats the country like a “dharamshala” should not be given the right to choose the govt.He said questions would naturally arise if voting rights were given to someone who did not consider India’s interests as their own or whose loyalty was not towards the country.Referring again to Gandhi, Rathore said she became an Indian citizen after marrying Rajiv Gandhi, while questions had arisen over her becoming a voter before that.Rathore said such cases were precisely what a process like SIR was intended to address. He said technical issues such as Form 6 and the process of adding names to electoral rolls would be decided by Election Commission.However, Rathore said the right to choose India’s govt belonged to Indian citizens. “Indian citizens will choose the government of India,” he said, adding that the rights of citizens of another country or the political system of another country could not be decided from India.
