By Liz Mathew, IANS
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday hit back at critics of the Indo-US nuclear deal at a Congress leadership meet where party chief Sonia Gandhi warned colleagues not to take their jobs for granted. Both were, however, overshadowed by party general secretary Rahul Gandhi.
Cries of “Rahul, Rahul” echoed the Talkatora Indoor Stadium right from the opening of the annual All India Congress Committee (AICC) session at 9 p.m., the cries reaching a crescendo when he actually began to speak post lunch.
But although Manmohan Singh was among the delegates who lustily clapped the young Gandhi, Rahul’s listless 10-minute address failed to impress many of the 3,000 delegates gathered from all over the country.
Addressing the delegates, first in Hindi and then in English, the first time MP said the party should be relevant to “a broad range of young Indians” and become ‘meritocratic’ where progress is linked to performance and accountability.
For one seen by some as a future prime minister, Gandhi said: “If we are to truly become an organisation that represents the youth of our country, if we are to truly develop leaders of whom this nation can be proud, we need to do two things.
“The first is to build an organisation that is open and relevant to a broad range of Indians who believe in our values and seek to serve the nation. Young people bring tremendous promises and energy into our organisation. We must see that they are accountable and their progress is linked to performance.”
Once he finished, he drew mostly negative reactions. Most delegates complained that the speech was dull and uninspiring. “I was completely disappointed,” said a former MP. “His speech did not have anything to encourage the youth, no plans, no programmes and no drive.”
In their speeches earlier, both Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi underlined the most pressing issues confronting the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and the party.
Departing from his prepared text in which he basically dealt with the government’s performance including a booming economy, Manmohan Singh rebutted communist criticism of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal.
“The propaganda that the nuclear deal will hurt our strategic programme is totally wrong,” he said in English. Until then, he was reading out his speech in Hindi.
“The agreement concerns only with the civilian side of our nuclear programme. It has no bearing on our strategic programme, which will remain intact.
“The propaganda that it will affect our sense of judgement and independence of our foreign policy is equally false. I have repeatedly said in parliament that India is too big a country… Nobody can bent India anywhere.”
The comments came a day after Indian communists who have opposed the nuclear deal gave a half-hearted go ahead to the government for talks on India-specific safeguards with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
In his written speech, Manmohan Singh said the nuclear agreement is an effort to open closed doors for India to help it obtain nuclear fuel and technology from the US, Russia and France and end the shortage of electricity.
Sonia Gandhi, who kick-started the party gathering with a 45-minute speech, launched a blistering attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and also told her own colleagues that none of them was above the Congress party.
Party leaders, including ministers, heard in rapt attention as the widow of slain former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi did some plain speaking.
“I want to clarify that the party is supreme and there is no leader or faction above the party,” she said, speaking first in English and then switching over to Hindi.
Gandhi said many in the Congress had been given a chance to hold responsible “positions”. “Those given these chances should remember they have been given a great responsibility and there are others capable of holding these posts.”
She urged ministers to regularly go to party offices and interact with party workers and also people in rural areas. “Those who are in positions should remember that they hold these positions only because of the party.”
Gandhi said that while the Congress was a democratic party and there was room in it for free and frank exchanges of views, “one has to be careful”.
“Unless the party comes out with a stand on an issue, party leaders are not expected to air their personal opinions. And when the party expresses its stand, no other opinion can be accepted from anyone in the party.”
She accused the Congress-led UPA government’s achievements were all the more creditable “given the stubbornly uncooperative attitude of the BJP in parliament. No words are strong enough to condemn the BJP’s attack on our prime minister and our party.”
Gandhi also said: “The prime minister has (said) that the nuclear deal would not have any impact on our strategic nuclear programme. I endorse that view.”
But she made it clear that neither she nor Rahul Gandhi held “a magic wand” to help the party win elections. “Whatever has to be done has to be done you’re your efforts and cooperation.”
The Talkatora indoor auditorium, the venue, wore a festive look with tricolour flags and banners with Congress election symbols as well as welcome arches. All roads leading to it had giant hoardings and banners with pictures of the Gandhi family – Sonia Gandhi, son and MP Rahul and daughter Priyanka.