Agatha denies rift between her father and Sonia

There are no personal differences between NCP leader P A Sangma and UPA chief Sonia Gandhi, who had quit Congress opposing her candidature to the post of prime minister as she was of foreign origin, Union minister Agatha Sangma said on Sunday.

There are no personal differences between NCP leader P A Sangma and UPA chief Sonia Gandhi, who had quit Congress opposing her candidature to the post of prime minister as she was of foreign origin, Union minister Agatha Sangma said on Sunday.

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"There is no personal difference between my father and Congress president Sonia Gandhi. This is a non-issue now," Agatha, Sangma's daughter and the youngest minister in the Manmohan Singh cabinet, told reporters in Guwahati.

Reacting to a query on the relationship between her father and Gandhi in view of her being made the minister of state for rural development, Agatha said the "issue has been dragged too far."

"My father has always said that he will welcome Rahul Gandhi as prime minister," Agatha said.

On her future programme, the 27-year-old MP said she would soon convey a meeting of rural development ministers of the northeastern states to ensure that funds alloted by the Centre is spent for development work.

"The gap between the urban and rural populace have to be bridged and funds meant for rural development should be spent in a proper manner," she said.