Rahul: I haven’t thought of being the PM

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi has sought to silence the clamour for him taking over as the Prime Minister. Aurangzeb Naqshbandi reports.

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi has sought to silence the clamour for him taking over as the Prime Minister.

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“I haven't thought of being the Prime Minister as yet,” the Gandhi scion told a group of journalism students who met him on Monday at 10, Janpath.

During the interactive session, a majority of students repeatedly asked Gandhi when he would become the Prime Minister.

“If I wish to do something for my country, I should not wait to become the Prime Minister ….rather I should work on it in whatever capacity I am,” a student quoted him as having said.

Gandhi drew their attention to the plight of farmers in Uttar Pradesh, a state he aspires to capture in the next year's assembly polls. “How would you feel if the government takes away your home and gives you some money as compensation? One square metre of land acquired for R800 is sold for R18, 000,” he told them.

He reiterated his promise of enacting a strong land acquisition law to address anomalies. “We have to find a solution to land acquisition problems and we can find it only through a dialogue. Those in power should not try to suppress the voices of people.”