NEW DELHI: Defining her relationship with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as "perfect'' and denying the existence of two power centres in the Government, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday said the only complaint she had with him was that he did not highlight his achievements enough.

In an exclusive interview to the newly launched CNN-IBN television news channel, Ms. Gandhi said: "I think he has done a fine job. I have no complaints whatsoever. My complaint with Dr. Singh is that he sometimes doesn't highlight his achievements enough. I believe that the employment scheme will benefit the majority of the people of this country who need help.''

Billing the National Rural Employment Scheme as the most significant achievement of the Government so far, the United Progressive Alliance chairperson said of her relationship with Dr. Singh: "Those who talk of two power centres don't know what they are talking about. The Prime Minister and I are in regular communication, we share a strong relationship and I have full faith in him.''

Fielding a wide range of questions, Ms. Gandhi was non-committal on the future of the former Union Minister, Natwar Singh. Asked whether he would be taken back if the R.S. Pathak Committee probing the Volcker issue acquitted him, she said: "I do not want to discuss hypothetical questions.''

Pained by the recent cases of corruption involving members of Parliament, Ms. Gandhi said: "I think people in public life must understand their responsibility and be more accountable.'' Hopeful of the Right to Information being a boon in this regard, she added: "I think the Act will make a difference and force us to take corrective steps.'' As for the Bharatiya Janata Party's charge that the Congress was the fountainhead of corruption, her counter was: "I don't think they have any moral right to say anything. They should first introspect and look within.''

On pressures from the Left parties and the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Ms. Gandhi maintained that it would not have any impact on the stability of the Government. "Which Government does not have pressures? We are in a coalition arrangement and different parties have their own views. You have to make certain adjustments from time to time. This does not mean that the Government does not function.''

In fact, she attributed the absence of young faces from the Congress in the Government to coalition politics. To a question on why young MPs were not inducted in the Cabinet, her answer was: "Look, I think in a coalition government, each party will want its share of ministerships. We would like to have more young faces, but they also have to prove themselves first.''

Also, she denied that coalition partners had put pressure on the Government to impose President's Rule in Bihar and make Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Shibu Soren the Chief Minister of the State. "All decisions are taken collectively, I don't think you can say that we were pressurised to do anything.''

About son Rahul Gandhi's future, Ms. Gandhi was clear that it was an issue for the party to decide. "Rahul will do what the party and he think is best for him,'' was her refrain to the question on his future and whether he would be asked to lead the party's unit in Uttar Pradesh.

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