If the Govt falls, so be it, says Rahul Gandhi

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi came out strongly in support of the India-US nuclear deal on Wednesday, saying it was worth the risk, and “if the government falls in the process, so be it”.

He, however, expressed confidence that the government would win the trust vote.

“For ideological or political reasons, the deal is being opposed. Sometimes in life, risks have to be taken. The leadership the Prime Minister is showing...He thinks it is in the interest of the country,” he said.

Describing the deal as fundamental to India’s energy problems and one that can make the country a global player, he said: “I also believe that you need guts to do it. I appreciate it. I would tell him (PM) to take the risk again, again and again. That is leadership.”

Rahul equated the deal with decisions taken by late PM Rajiv Gandhi in the eighties in the telecom and IT sectors and said they had changed the scenario in country. Everybody would question the necessity of telecom and IT revolution, he said.

How would computers benefit farmers was a common question, said Rahul, adding the situation developing over the nuclear deal was similar.

In a reference to Left parties, he said they may be opposing it for political reasons but the deal was absolutely in the interest of the country.

Claiming that there was support for the deal across the political divide, he said, "There are people in the BJP and other parties who are 100 per cent for the deal … if somebody argues that it is bad, then there is a feeling it is political. It is not only Rahul Gandhi, but every young person in the country who is bound to support the deal.”

When it was pointed out that this had led the Congress to align with the Samajwadi Party, which it had opposed earlier and the new alignment may hurt the Congress in the long run, he said: “My point is, we will stake whatever we can.”

Asked about the functioning of the UP government, Rahul said every government should work for the poverty alleviation. “I do not think the state government was working enough in the direction.”

On why he was making regular stops at Dalits’ houses, Rahul said he was visiting everybody, including the Brahmins, the OBCs and the minorities. But his visits to the houses of Dalits were the only ones taken note of.