Chennai: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president M Venkaiah Naidu on August 31 said the issue of "foreign born" persons occupying the office of Prime Minister of the country would become more relevant at the time of the elections.

"BJP is not against any individual. But the issue is of great importance," he told reporters on the sidelines of a training programme for BJP workers at suburban Mannivakkam.

Whenever the issue had been raised, the people of the country had given the "proper" judgement that only a person born in India should occupy the post, he said.

Asked whether the Centre was contemplating to bring in a legislation to prevent foreign born persons occupying high Constitutional posts, he said it was for the government to decide on this.

Asked for his comments on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's remarks that Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who was a "foreigner", should not become the Prime Minister, he said, "She only propagated the BJP's ideals."

Asked whether Jayalalithaa had made these remarks only to escape from the cases as alleged by some Congress leaders, he said National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government would not interfere with the judiciary as the courts were independent.

He said Jayalalithaa's remarks did not amount to coming closer of BJP and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). "Now our job is to concentrate on the expansion of the party in Tamil Nadu. There is no question of alliance. Only when polls are announced, the party will think of alliance with any party in the state," he said.

PTI