New Delhi:
In Parliament, a visibly angry Sonia Gandhi gestured to senior Congress ministers, asking them to take on LK Advani after the opposition leader made a controversial remark that questioned the legitimacy of the Congress-led government.
Mrs Gandhi's son, Rahul, however, who was also in Parliament, was circumspect. "He is a senior person. He knows what he is saying. I do not want to comment," he said.
Mr Advani later withdrew his remarks. He said he was not questioning the results of the 2009 general elections, which brought the UPA to power for a second term. The BJP veteran said what he had meant was that the Congress had won a trust vote in 2008 after "crores of rupees were spent."
Mr Gandhi, who is Secretary General of the Congress party, headed by his mother, said recently that he is ready to play a larger role. He said when that would happen was upto his two bosses - Mrs Gandhi and the Prime Minister. Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has said that he hopes to see Mr Gandhi expanding his contribution to the party, rather than in the government. There have been reports that Mr Gandhi could be made a cabinet minister.
Mr Gandhi led the Congress campaign in Uttar Pradesh earlier this year with embarrassing results -his party placed a poor fourth in the state. Akhilesh Yadav, the young leader of the Samajwadi Party, swept India's largest state, and is now its Chief Minister. His father, Mulayam, provides external support to the UPA, and has bailed out the government during crucial votes on important legislation.