The Hindu : National : Security threat not a reason: Rahul

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 20, 2004

National

National

Security threat not a reason: Rahul

NEW DELHI, MAY 19. Security threat was not the reason for the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, not taking up prime ministership, according to her son, Rahul.

"If there was a security threat, we would have closed our mother inside a room and told her not to go out," Mr. Rahul Gandhi said adding that Ms. Gandhi moved freely during the election campaign despite security threats.

"It's (security threat) is like a cloth which we wear," the newly-elected MP from Amethi told presspersons after the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting. Asked whether he and his sister, Priyanka Vadra, had advised their mother against taking up prime ministership, he said: "I want to go into detail on this aspect." In 1998, when Ms. Gandhi was elected the Congress president, he and his sister had told her "not to do it [join politics]. Our mother felt that the Congress was drowning and she has to pull it up. At that time there was no question of her becoming Prime Minister."

In the recent elections too, Mr. Rahul Gandhi said, people were speculating that the Congress would be wiped off. The results proved them wrong and threw up a chance for her to become Prime Minister. "After the elections were over, I asked my mother whether she wants to become PM. She said no."

`Not decided about marriage' "I have not decided yet," said Mr. Rahul Gandhi said when asked about his marriage plans. "I have not decided whom to marry. I will tell you the moment I decide it," he told presspersons.

He urged a scribe not to address him `sir'. "Another sir and you will find me in my car."

As he emerged from the CPP meeting, Mr. Rahul Gandhi was virtually mobbed by journalists. One of them asked him to throw a tea party for the scribes. "When do you want it? Tell me. These days you are also busy. OK, let it be 25th evening," he said. — PTI

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