Congress Flays Sangma For Statement On Foreigner Issue

The Congress yesterday reacted sharply to Constitution Review Commission member P A Sangma's statement that he would raise the issue of persons of foreign origin being barred from occupying high positions in the country. The Congress said Sangma seemed unaware of the fact that members did not decide the terms of reference for the commission.

"Even the chairman of the Commission does not have such power, " Congress spokesman Anil Shastri said yesterday. He said the terms decided by the Union Cabinet were too vague and "open-ended", and could not be supported by the Congress. "We are open to any change provided they are specified," he said.

P A Sangma had left the Congress along with Sharad Pawar to form the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) before the last Lok Sabha elections on the issue that persons of foreign origin should be barred from occupying the high offices of Prime Minister, the President and the Chief Justice of India.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had opposed the move the review the Constitution through a resolution adopted at its working committee meeting. Sangma, however, is already a part of the commission. Moreover, NCP president Sharad Pawar, whom Sangma could not contact before accepting the offer, also seems to be changing his stand on the review.

Pawar said Sangma had not spoken to him till last evening. Pawar seemed to welcome the committee since it was headed by Justice M N Venkatachalaiah, who had made it clear that he would rather quit the panel than change the Constitution's basic features.