Rahul has good potential to become prime minister: PM

NI Wire

Mumbai

Mon, 13 Apr 2009: 

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at a press conference on Monday admitted Rahul Gandhi as a prime minister in future. Manmohan Singh said Rahul has good potential to become prime minister; in fact, young people should come forward and take India ahead.

India needs a wise and experienced leadership capable ofacing modern day challenges and work efficiently rising above the religion, caste and region, which are the plagues of the country, Dr.

Singh said.

“We need a leadership that can understand these challenges and exploit them to secure a better future for our young generations. We do not need those who put Indians against Indians, are bogged down by outdated ideologies and continue to live in the past,” he said.

On Sunday, Priyanka Gandhi too had shown full faith in her brother Rahul Gandhi as hard working and well qualified…to do justice with the office of prime minister one day. She, however, insisted that the incumbent Manmohan Singh would continue in the post if the Congress comes to power.

To a query how do you assess yourself as a prime minister, he said judge me by my work, not on the basis of other’s statement (Advani). Advani has been launching attacks on Manmohan Singh as the weakest prime minister whose door is in the hands of 10 Janpath. What I have done in my five-year term as a prime minister and as a finance minister earlier, evaluate me on that basis, Dr. Singh said.

He should be judged by his performance, not through a televised debate, the Prime Minister told reporters when asked would he accept BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Advani’s challenge in this regard.

About why nuclear deal, which Congress has been saying its biggest achievement, is not getting wide space in the party’s promotional campaign, Dr. Singh smiled and said “wherever I go for election campaign, I must project nuclear deal as Congress’s major achievement in the favour of India", and asked the reporter laughingly “you tell me what should I need to do more.”