Editing Sonia Gandhi (section)

===Rajiv Gandhi's premiership (1984–1990)===
[[File:President Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan, Rajiv Gandhi, and Sonia Gandhi.jpg|thumb|right|40th [[president of the United States]] [[Ronald Reagan]], Sonia Gandhi, First Lady [[Nancy Reagan]] and Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, during a state dinner for Prime Minister Gandhi. June 1985]]

Sonia Gandhi's involvement with Indian public life began after the assassination of her mother-in-law and her husband's election as prime minister. As the prime minister's wife she acted as his official hostess and also accompanied him on a number of state visits.<ref>{{cite web|author=Rasheeda Bhagat|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/features/life/sonia-gandhi-ordinary-italian-to-powerful-indian/article2573884.ece|title=Sonia Gandhi: Ordinary Italian to powerful Indian|publisher=Thehindubusinessline.com|access-date=11 March 2014|archive-date=10 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110175543/https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/variety/sonia-gandhi-ordinary-italian-to-powerful-indian/article23031407.ece|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1984, she actively campaigned against her husband's sister-in-law [[Maneka Gandhi]] who was running against Rajiv in [[Amethi]]. At the end of Rajiv Gandhi's five years in office, the [[Bofors scandal]] broke out. [[Ottavio Quattrocchi]], an Italian businessman believed to be involved, was said to be a friend of Sonia Gandhi, having access to the Prime Minister's official residence.<ref>[http://in.rediff.com/news/2006/jan/17spec11.htm Who is Quattrocchi?] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423120625/http://in.rediff.com/news/2006/jan/17spec11.htm |date=23 April 2016 }} Retrieved 23 March 2007.</ref> The BJP has alleged that she appeared on the voters' list in New Delhi prior to obtaining Indian citizenship in April 1983, in contravention of Indian law.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://expressindia.indianexpress.com/ie/daily/19990512/ipo12039.html|title=BJP accuses Sonia of flouting law|date=12 May 1999|work=The Indian Express|access-date=12 April 2011|archive-date=27 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527220243/http://expressindia.indianexpress.com/ie/daily/19990512/ipo12039.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="hinduonnet.com"/>

Former senior Congress leader and former [[President of India]] [[Pranab Mukherjee]] said that she surrendered her Italian passport to the Italian Embassy on 27 April 1983.<ref name="Citizenship">{{cite web |title=Introduction - Chapter 01 |url=https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/71221/6/06_chapter%201.pdf |publisher=Shodhganga |access-date=30 May 2020}}</ref> [[Italian nationality law]] did not permit dual nationality until 1992. So, by acquiring Indian citizenship on 30 April 1983,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://indiankanoon.org/doc/79003577/|title=Rakesh Singh vs Sonia Gandhi on 14 February, 2011|website=indiankanoon.org|access-date=21 May 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/other/article30252028.ece|title=A citizenship question|website=Frontline|author=V. Venkatesen|date=29 September 2001|access-date=21 May 2023|archive-date=21 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230521081307/https://frontline.thehindu.com/other/article30252028.ece|url-status=live}}</ref> she would automatically have lost Italian citizenship.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archivio.trentininelmondo.it/cittadinanza/come_si_perde_en.asp|title=Citizenship: How to lose it? |publisher=Trentini Nel Mondo|access-date=2 February 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107041529/http://archivio.trentininelmondo.it/cittadinanza/come_si_perde_en.asp|archive-date=7 January 2012}}</ref>