Born identity

The Congress has drawn a parallel between Sonia Gandhi and Annie Besant, the British theosophist and Indian Home Rule League founder, to counter any Opposition charges about the Congress president’s foreign origin.

The editorial of the latest issue of party mouthpiece Congress Sandesh says, “Let us remind our respected Opposition members that citizenship of a nation does not rest on birth alone.” While citing several parameters for citizenship, the editorial adds: “It (citizenship) comes from having fought for freedom from British rule, like Annie Besant did as the first woman president of the Indian National Congress. Would we have denied her Indian citizenship based on birth alone?”