New Delhi, May 25 :     Returning to the Congress centrestage, Sonia Gandhi today dared her opponents to take the issue of her foreign origin to the people and made it clear she was in the race for prime ministership. ?The people of India will give a fitting reply to those questioning my patriotism...As far as the issue of prime ministership is concerned, the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) will decide it,? Sonia Gandhi said during an emotionally-charged speech at the AICC session, which established her as the unchallenged leader of the party. Sonia Gandhi remains chairperson of the CPP and today?s statement leaves no room for doubt about her projection as the party?s prime ministerial candidate in the elections. In fact, when she resigned as party president, she had retained leadership of the CPP. Sonia Gandhi sought to rip apart all adversaries and declared she was as much an Indian as anyone else. ?Meri hindustaniat par shak karne walon ko main jawab nahin doongee. Is desh ki janata degee. Munh torh jawab degee,? she said. Going on the offensive, Sonia Gandhi told an audience of Congressmen: ?Yeh desh mere jivan ke pal pal mein shamil raha. Main suhagin yahan bani, maa yahan bani, main widhwa apki ankhon ke samne hui. Is desh ki sabse mahan putri Indiraji ne apni saans meri bahon mein tori.? The impact of the speech was instant. Many AICC delegates were seen wiping tears. ?Mere khoon ki ek ek boond kahti hai ke yeh mera watan hai. Yeh mera watan hai,? she said. Explaining the circumstances leading to her resignation, Sonia Gandhi accused Sharad Pawar and other expelled leaders of being hand-in-glove with the BJP and wondered how they could raise the issue of her foreign origin when they themselves had come with ?folded hands?, asking her to take over the Congress leadership. ?Now the same set of people is trying to sow the seeds of doubt in the minds of my countrymen. They have joined hands with forces against whom I came to fight,? she said. The Congress president said she had quit a week ago with a ?heavy heart?, but had decided to come back because ?the party has given me new assurance and hope?. She said ?after refusing to enter politics for seven years?, she had not come to grab power, but to ?save the party from disintegration and the country from being overrun by communal forces?. That fight, she asserted, will continue. ?I will not let you down. What has happened in the past nine days should give us inspiration for a new beginning,? she said. Sonia Gandhi said the issue of her citizenship was settled 31 years ago when she came to India as Indira Gandhi?s daughter-in-law. ?Hindustan ne mujko 31 sal pahle hi apna liya tha,? she said. The AICC president said the rebels failed to understand why she joined politics after shying away for seven years. ?We are not hankering for power. We are not in politics to adorn public offices. We are in politics to fulfil the dreams of our forefathers of a strong and resurgent India.? The major part of the speech was in Hindi and was lustily cheered by delegates numbering over 1,400 at the session, which adopted a resolution expressing deep gratitude to her for taking back her resignation. Sonia Gandhi is planning drastic measures to tone up the party structure. This was evident when AICC members endorsed Nagaland chief minister S.C. Jamir?s view that the leadership should be cautious about the coterie surrounding her. The Pawar camp reacted sharply, rejecting Sonia Gandhi?s charge that they were with the communal forces. While Pawar was talking to Karnataka chief minister J.H. Patel on phone, P.A. Sangma termed Sonia Gandhi?s resignation and subsequent withdrawal a big drama. He regretted that Sonia Gandhi did not address any of the issues raised in their letter. In Pondicherry, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said: ?I am glad that the drama is over and hope normal political activities will start now.?