Kolkata:
Rahul Gandhi has once again set at rest all speculation about his becoming Prime Minister. Speaking to reporters at Kolkata, he said he was not ready to be the PM. He listed two reasons for not accepting the PM post.
"One is that I am working in the organisation of the Congress party which I think is fundamental for this country. I think it is very important for a strong, progressive, pro-poor youth organisation is developed in this country and that is a very, very big priority of mine.
"Number two is I don't think I have the experience to be the Prime Minister of the country right now," he said.
Rahul also hit out at the BJP blaming them of Babri Masjid demolition.
"Babri Masjid was broken by the politics of BJP. It was broken by the politics of division, it was broken by dividing Indians against Indians."
Gandhi struck an aggressive note on being quizzed about the Bofors controversy and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and whether he was prepared to apologise for them.
"There is absolutely nothing that I have to apologise about Bofors. It is a complete lie," he said adding that the controversy was a "calumny" spread by the Opposition for 20 years.
Asked whether the Congress was keeping its doors open for a post-poll understanding with the Left parties, Gandhi was non-committal.
"I am nobody to say whether the doors are open or closed. That is for the party president and Prime Minister to decide. But as a general principle, I can say that doors of Congress are open for anyone willing to join us," he said.
Rahul, who attacked the Left Front government in West Bengal over the implementation of the Centre's flagship National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme, said his views on this will not change even if "the Left joins us" after the elections.
He said he was shocked to see that the benefits of the pro-poor scheme were not reaching the people in districts like Purulia.
Rahul also said his perception was that Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were the worst states in the implementation of such programmes but "I was shocked by what I saw in West Bengal."
"One is that I am working in the organisation of the Congress party which I think is fundamental for this country. I think it is very important for a strong, progressive, pro-poor youth organisation is developed in this country and that is a very, very big priority of mine.
"Number two is I don't think I have the experience to be the Prime Minister of the country right now," he said.
Rahul also hit out at the BJP blaming them of Babri Masjid demolition.
"Babri Masjid was broken by the politics of BJP. It was broken by the politics of division, it was broken by dividing Indians against Indians."
Gandhi struck an aggressive note on being quizzed about the Bofors controversy and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and whether he was prepared to apologise for them.
"There is absolutely nothing that I have to apologise about Bofors. It is a complete lie," he said adding that the controversy was a "calumny" spread by the Opposition for 20 years.
Asked whether the Congress was keeping its doors open for a post-poll understanding with the Left parties, Gandhi was non-committal.
"I am nobody to say whether the doors are open or closed. That is for the party president and Prime Minister to decide. But as a general principle, I can say that doors of Congress are open for anyone willing to join us," he said.
Rahul, who attacked the Left Front government in West Bengal over the implementation of the Centre's flagship National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme, said his views on this will not change even if "the Left joins us" after the elections.
He said he was shocked to see that the benefits of the pro-poor scheme were not reaching the people in districts like Purulia.
Rahul also said his perception was that Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were the worst states in the implementation of such programmes but "I was shocked by what I saw in West Bengal."
