Addressing a public meeting organised by the BJP Mahila Morcha here, Sushma launched a scathing attack on the Congress president on the latter's foreign origin and her contribution to the people of the country. In her pursuit of power, Sonia stooped to the level of trying to bank on her relationship with the Nehru-Gandhi family, she said.

The BJP leader said that though the party never criticised Sonia at the personal level, it had raised the issue of her (Sonia's) eligibility to occupy the highest constitutional office in the country owing to her foreign origin. ``If a foreigner becomes the Prime Minister of this country, doubts will be raised over the eligibility of 100 crore Indians to occupy the high posts,'' she said.

Swaraj expressed concern over decrease in the number ofwomen participating in politics and said that while 12 per cent of the members in the first Lok Sabha were women, the figure had come down to 6 per cent during the 12th Lok Sabha as most of the political parties were male-dominated. Keeping this in view, the BJP tried to pass the women's quota bill during the tenure of the dissolved Lok Sabha but was unsuccessful, she pointed out.

BJP general secretary M Venkaiah Naidu called upon women to exercise their franchise in favour of the BJP and its allies and reinstate Vajpayee as the Prime Minister.

Mahila Morcha national president Maya Singh and social welfare board chairman Mridula Sinha, besides several state leaders, spoke.