The CPM politburo said while all secular and democratic forces should be engaged in defeating the BJP-led alliance in the coming elections, Pawar, P A Sangma and Tariq Anwar have raised the issue of Gandhi's foreign origin which had already been raked up by the Bharatiya Janata Party after Vajpayee government's fall.

``The stand taken by the three former Congress leaders does not represent any policy differences with the Congress leadership,'' the statement said and added that they were only echoing the BJP stand.

The statement said CPM has already made it clear that every citizen irrespective of origin has equal rights under the Constitution and alleged that BJP's stance wasmotivated by ``chauvinism and communal tinge''.

Further, it said the party will view a party and its leadership not on the basis of the place of birth or personal characteristics of individual leaders but by policies and added that it was ``well known that the CPM is opposed to the economic policies adopted by the Congress.''

Though both parties agree foreign origin is a non-issue, CPI general secretary A B Bardhan maintained a cautious approach, after over an hour's meeting with CPM leaders, including Harkishan Singh Surjeet. ``It is an internal affair of the Congress. Let us see,'' he said.