Rahul deflects Thackeray's counsel, flays BJP

Unfazed by Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray's advice that Rahul Gandhi should look for a "Hindustani" bride, the Congress MP from Amethi suggested that the Sena chief should concentrate on "doing something" for Maharashtra instead of looking for girls for him."

I shall definitely consider Thackeray's recommendation," Gandhi remarked but said he would emphatically not "see" the girl recommended by him.

"I am open to suggestions and proposals from any quarters on any matter. I am still learning. I am even prepared to hear abuses from people. But I am clear that I will be the one to take the final decision, no matter what the advice," Gandhi said.

Keeping up the pressure on the Samajwadi Party (SP), Gandhi contested the argument of SP general secretary Amar Singh and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav that it was his party, not the Congress that had kept the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at bay in the Lok Sabha and recent Assembly by-elections in the state.

"The Congress has crushed the BJP in the whole of the country including UP," Gandhi said, and charged that Yadav had actually worked to weaken the opposition to the BJP by fielding his party's candidates against Congress nominees during the recent Assembly polls in some states.

He offered no reply when asked about the allegations and counter-allegations being traded between the two parties despite supporting each other at the Centre and in the state.

Independents won three seats and the Samajwadi Party and the Congress one each in five of the seven legislative council seats in UP, results for which were announced yesterday.

Gandhi launched a broadside against the BJP and said there were differences even within the party on the temple issue. "I hate fundamentalism and a party, which indulges in such politics," he said.

Concurring with his mother and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's assertion that the state government was discriminating against Amethi and Rae Bareli, Gandhi said several industrialists had evinced interest in investing there but were wary of the power shortage.

"I met several industrialists and almost all of them said they wanted to set up industries here but are wary of the shortage of power," he said.

"Uttar Pradesh is lagging behind other states in many areas. The whole state is embroiled in the politics of religion and caste," he said. Describing the new state Congress unit chief Salman Khurshid "an able man", he said he had no role in the change of guard in the UP Congress.

Taking a swipe at the BJP for invoking the Ayodhya issue, Gandhi said Lord Ram had made it clear to the saffron party in the last Lok Sabha elections that it would not benefit by using his name.

He said the BJP and the RSS should come to "mainstream politics", a step that would "benefit" the country and create "problems for the Congress because the real fight in the country is between mainstream politics." "In the last elections, Ramji has given an answer to them that you cannot benefit by using my name," he told reporters. when asked about the BJP raking up the Ram temple issue again.

Talking from the Congress point of view he said he felt "happy" when the BJP talked about the Ram temple issue "because they will have no benefit from it."

To a question, Gandhi said he did not want to learn politics like a "national leader" because from a "high position, you could not learn anything." The first-time MP pointed out that this was the reason for his not going for campaigning in Maharashtra or other states.

"I had told my senior Congress colleagues that if they think my going was extremely critical, then I will go (for campaigning)," he said.