Bangalore: A group of citizens today (May 16, 2004) held a protest dharna and silent march against making Italian-born Sonia Gandhi Prime Minister, saying it's "shameful and degrading" to believe and accept that there is not a single Indian among a billion people who deserves the high office.

Holding placards that read "India for Indian-born, Amend the Constitution", and "For the post of PM, not one in a billion but an Italian", they staged the protest in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue here.

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Organised under the banner of "Swathantra Rakshana Vedike", a voluntary organisation, they said irrespective of the current state of Indian politics and the "dilution" of Democracy, they believe the nation should be governed and managed by Indians of Indian origin.

"It's shameful and degrading that we should settle for a foreign-born citizen of India," according to them. "Should a nation that produced a Gandhi, a Tilak, an Aurobindo, settle for a non-entity as our Prime Minister?"

They said the protest is aimed at inspiring others to wake up and initiate a national movement that would project the feelings of all citizens who think and feel likewise.