Pilot defends Rahul on tainted netas’ ordinance

Union minister Sachin Pilot on Sunday defended Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s outburst against the now shelved ordinance to protect convicted lawmakers from immediate disqualification, saying the decision showed the party was sensitive to the views of the people.

Union minister Sachin Pilot on Sunday defended Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s outburst against the now shelved ordinance to protect convicted lawmakers from immediate disqualification, saying the decision showed the party was sensitive to the views of the people.

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“We are running this government on behalf of the people. If everybody wanted to change the decision, then we did. There is nothing wrong in saying that we actually took a step back and reflected on what we were doing,” Pilot said in an interview telecast on CNN IBN.

The minister of state for corporate affairs disagreed with the suggestion that Gandhi’s outburst had embarrassed the Prime Minister and the Congress. “What Mr Gandhi has done is being supported now by the cabinet and by the Congress. He has already clarified that perhaps the choice of words and the timing may be in question but the intent and the sentiment was right,” Pilot said.

Replying to whether government will have to consult Gandhi before major decisions, Pilot replied: “Rahul is one individual but he represents the Congress party and it leads the UPA government. There are decisions that need to be discussed with the party and the party guides the policies and programmes of the government of the day.”