The Hindu : New Delhi News : Rahul Gandhi takes charge as general secretary

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 26, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

Rahul Gandhi takes charge as general secretary

Gargi Parsai

NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday took charge as Congress general secretary at the AICC headquarters here, even as frenzied party workers raised slogans and mobbed him.

He later called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister Shivraj Patil.

The 37-year-old youth leader arrived at the 24 Akbar Road party office, accompanied by his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi. The duo walked the short distance from Ms. Gandhi’s 10 Janpath residence to the AICC office but left within 20 minutes. Neither of them interacted with the media.

Mr. Gandhi spent about 10 minutes with other general secretaries, secretaries and office-bearers, to whom he was introduced. Senior leader and general secretary Margaret Alva, who has worked with three generations of the Gandhi family, said it was a coincidence that the very day a young cricket team brought glory to India, a young team was inducted into the Congress and it would also bring success. “The future belongs to the younger generation.”

Welcoming this observation, Ms. Gandhi said, “Age and youth have to work together.” Then Mr. Gandhi, accompanied by his mother and senior leaders Motilal Vora and Ahmed Patel, moved into his new office room. It is next to Ms. Gandhi’s.

Sources said a beaming Ms. Gandhi shared gulab jamuns with the office-bearers. They discussed Monday’s success of M.S. Dhoni’s cricket team and the Indian Idol music competition on television.

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