Rahul stakes government for Deal

“Who takes the risk for good cause, wins the race eventually. No matter if one fails to win, but the cause must be taken for the welfare of humanity.” This is what the AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi wanted to say while talking to reporters on the last day of visit to his constituency here on Wednesday.

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The Amethi MP has categorically said the nuclear deal with the US is in favour of the country. Congress has taken risk. Sometimes risk is taken. The deal is in nation's interest and if the government falls in the process, doesn't matter. However, he expressed confidence that the UPA would pass the floor test on July 22.

He said leadership means to take a right decision on the right time, if the matter is in nation's interest and in the welfare of the coming generation. The leader should not hesitate to take the right decision fearing opposition's protest or losing power. Considerations of power should not come in the way of the engagement with the US on the nuclear deal.

I am proud of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said Rahul Gandhi and praised him for demonstrating extraordinary vision, tenacity and leadership in his efforts to make the deal see the day of light even at the risk of his own government.

“I believe that you need guts to do it. I appreciate it. I would tell him (prime minister) to take the risk again and again and again. That is leadership," he said.

The young leaders of opposition political parties are also in favour of the deal and are of the opinion that deal is in the interests of the nation. If some leaders are opposing the deal, that is only because of ideological or political reasons. Without taking any party or leaders' name, he said young leaders of opposition parties themselves had said this to him.

“For ideological or political reasons the deal is being opposed. But the Congress has taken a decision which is correct. Sometimes in life, risk has to be taken. The prime minister thinks it is in the interest of the country. If the government falls in the process so be it," the AICC general secretary said.

The Congress party is willing to pay the political price for ensuring support for the nuclear deal. To a query that reminded him the Congress' alliance with the Samajwadi Party- a party that Congress had opposed earlier and the alliance could hurt the party's interests in the long run- the young Nehru-Gandhi scion said: “We will stake whatever we can to conclude nuclear deal.” Because the deal is a landmark for the energy situation and the nuclear industry is going to benefit at all of us,” he said.

Rahul recalled how the Left parties in the mid-eighties had protested a lot against the introduction of computers in government offices for “the machine power would reduce the man power.”

Even then, everybody thought to move the introduction of computers was ridiculous. But, today all we are witness of its significance in our daily life. The Left, which had spearheaded the campaign against computerisation, is very much dependent on this technology. Today, world is astonishingly viewing India's computer revolution.

The opposition of the deal says the nuclear energy would meet only 3 percent of our country's requirement but they are perhaps unknown that our brilliant scientists would enhance it to 70 percent. I believe more employment will emerge with the nuclear electricity which will result in emergence of nuclear industry in India, he said.