Talking to The Indian Express, Gavai pointed out that if the BJP was really serious about the issue, why did the Vajpayee Government not initiate a Bill on it in Parliament. "The Parliament is the proper forum for it and not the State Legislature," he said and asked the State BJP to tell their Central leadership to table such a Bill in Parliament.

However, the former chairman of State Legislative Council, Gavai made it clear that despite the fact that it was a Central issue, such a non-official resolution could be tabled in the State Legislature.

It was the Leader of the Opposition in the State Legislative Council, Nitin Gadkari, who announced last fortnight thatthe BJP and Shiv Sena would initiate a non-official resolution in both the Houses during the coming Winter Session for preventing persons of foreign origin to occupy the highest post in the country.

While announcing his party's decision to initiate such a resolution, Gadkari pointed out that the foreign origin issue of Sonia Gandhi was the main election plank for the NCP in the just-concluded elections. The issue had even led to a split in the Congress, leading to Sharad Pawar and others forming a separate party, the NCP.

As the political equation of Maharashtra has changed post-elections and the NCP is now the principal ally of the coalition Government, it would be embarrassing for the NCP to either support the proposed resolution or oppose it. The BJP was working overtime to drive a wedge between the Congress and the NCP, with the NCP leadership nursing a strong opinion on the foreign origin issue, he said.

Gavai was of the opinion that it would be very difficult to amend the Constitution to preventpeople of foreign origin from occupying the highest posts in the country.

According to him, the Constitution clearly maintained that there could no discrimination among citizens on the ground of religion, caste, race, sex or place of birth. If so, it would be a violation of fundamental rights, he further said.

The RPI president expressed his sympathy over the plight of Lok Shakti leader, Ramakrishna Hegde, who did not find a place in the Vajpayee Cabinet this time and was side-lined by the National Democratic Front.