Digvijaya Singh also said Rahul Gandhi doesn't hanker for power
New Delhi:
Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh today admitted that there were some members who were "disappointed" with Rahul Gandhi's leadership, but this was not the general mood within the party.
Mr Singh had created a flutter last week when he said that the Congress vice-president does not have a temperament conducive to the ruling benches. (Digvijaya Singh Clarifies After Saying Rahul Gandhi Lacks Ruling Temperament)
Speaking to NDTV, he clarified that his remarks had been misinterpreted. The 67-year-old Congress leader clarified, "He (Rahul Gandhi) could have become the Prime Minister of India if he wanted to, he could have become a minister in the Cabinet. But like Mrs Sonia Gandhi, he also doesn't hanker for power." (Rahul Gandhi Has All the 'Attributes' of Genuine Leader: Congress)
In remarks which suggested that he would have liked the Congress vice-president to spearhead the party in the Lok Sabha, Mr Singh said, "We wanted the leader of the parliamentary party position to be given to Mr Rahul Gandhi because that would have been the right platform for him to take up all the responsibility of an effective Opposition leader."
He was quick to add, "I don't want to belittle Mr Mallikarjun Kharge who is a very competent person." Mr Kharge is the leader of the Congress parliamentary party.
Mr Singh also defended his party colleague AK Antony's assessment that an aggressive pro-minority push had contributed to Congress's electoral debacle, insisting that the former defence minister was "only speaking about perceptions among the majority." (Congress Leader's Secularism Comments Seized by BJP)
"The Congress is not doing appeasement politics. Every developed society has special status for minorities, what's wrong with it?" he said.
Mr Singh also clarified, "I am the last person to appease someone in exchange of votes." But he defended his remarks on the 2008 Batla House encounter which has had termed as fake. "I will stand by that. It was not a correct encounter because no person in an encounter can be shot in the head. It's impossible," he said.
Mr Singh had created a flutter last week when he said that the Congress vice-president does not have a temperament conducive to the ruling benches. (Digvijaya Singh Clarifies After Saying Rahul Gandhi Lacks Ruling Temperament)
Speaking to NDTV, he clarified that his remarks had been misinterpreted. The 67-year-old Congress leader clarified, "He (Rahul Gandhi) could have become the Prime Minister of India if he wanted to, he could have become a minister in the Cabinet. But like Mrs Sonia Gandhi, he also doesn't hanker for power." (Rahul Gandhi Has All the 'Attributes' of Genuine Leader: Congress)
In remarks which suggested that he would have liked the Congress vice-president to spearhead the party in the Lok Sabha, Mr Singh said, "We wanted the leader of the parliamentary party position to be given to Mr Rahul Gandhi because that would have been the right platform for him to take up all the responsibility of an effective Opposition leader."
He was quick to add, "I don't want to belittle Mr Mallikarjun Kharge who is a very competent person." Mr Kharge is the leader of the Congress parliamentary party.
Mr Singh also defended his party colleague AK Antony's assessment that an aggressive pro-minority push had contributed to Congress's electoral debacle, insisting that the former defence minister was "only speaking about perceptions among the majority." (Congress Leader's Secularism Comments Seized by BJP)
"The Congress is not doing appeasement politics. Every developed society has special status for minorities, what's wrong with it?" he said.
Mr Singh also clarified, "I am the last person to appease someone in exchange of votes." But he defended his remarks on the 2008 Batla House encounter which has had termed as fake. "I will stand by that. It was not a correct encounter because no person in an encounter can be shot in the head. It's impossible," he said.
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