Jawhar (Maharashtra): Raking up the foreign origin issue of Congress President Sonia Gandhi for the first time in the election campaign, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today (Apr 1, 2004) sought a debate on whether a foreigner could occupy a high office in the country.

"Whether a foreigner can occupy a high office in the country is a matter of debate which should take place in a calm and composed atmosphere," he told an election rally in this tribal-dominated area in Thane district without naming Gandhi.

Ridiculing the alliance of Congress and NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) in the Lok Sabha polls, the Prime Minister reminded the people that NCP had parted ways with Congress on the "big issue" of foreign origin.

"I do not understand this alliance", Vajpayee said referring to the joint rally by Gandhi and NCP leader Sharad Pawar in Sholapur and took a dig at them saying that at least they should have avoided holding it on April Fool's day.

The Prime Minister said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Shiv Sena alliance was working well and his NDA (National Democratic Alliance) Government had proved wrong Congress and other political opponents by successfully running the coalition for five years.

Listing the various steps taken by his Government for welfare of tribals, he said a separate Ministry of Tribal Affairs was created and a Commission was set up to redress their grievances.

He asserted his Government was committed to bringing tribal regions in the mainstream of development.