World | India
Young lawmakers back nuclear deal, says Rahul
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi yesterday said all young MPs cutting across party lines support the India-US civil nuclear deal, but the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said he was "day-dreaming" and challenged him to name the young MPs.
- IANS
- Published: 00:05 July 17, 2008
Amethi/New Delhi: Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi yesterday said all young MPs cutting across party lines support the India-US civil nuclear deal, but the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said he was "day-dreaming" and challenged him to name the young MPs.
"All young Lok Sabha members even from the opposition, for instance the BJP, are crystal clear that the nuclear deal is in the country's interest," Rahul said in Amethi during a visit to his constituency in Uttar Pradesh.
The 38-year-old leader added that he had not come across a "single youngster", even in the opposition parties, who opposed the nuclear deal - that led to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government being reduced to a minority with the Left parties withdrawing their support.
The BJP did not kindly to the remarks.
"Rahul Gandhi should stop day-dreaming. We will recommend him to stop being childish," said Rajiv Pratap Rudy, the BJP spokesman. He dared Gandhi to name the BJP MPs who support the deal.
"It is advisable that, instead of hallucinating on the political situation of the day, he should spell out the names of young MPs who toe the line in his favour."
Talking to reporters in Amethi, Rahul also vowed his support for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the nuclear deal. "I will support the prime minister 100 per cent on this [the deal]," he asserted.
Expressing his faith in Singh, Rahul said: "One has to take risks in life; if the government falls [in the parliament floor test], so be it." Describing the prime minister as an "upright leader" with a vision, Rahul said he was acting in the interest of the nation. "If something is [done] in the interest of the people, numbers do not matter... Sometimes the government has to take a risk to achieve a milestone."
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