Congress keeps ‘Mr Clean’ off n-debate

You people say I don’t know how to speak. Now let me show you how I speak.”

You people say I don’t know how to speak. Now let me show you how I speak.” This was AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi at a press conference in Lucknow on November 12, but his party strategists are apparently not convinced.

The heir-apparent of the Nehru-Gandhi family was prepared to defend the Indo-US civil nuclear deal during the short discussion in the Lok Sabha last Wednesday, but he was advised otherwise, said Congress sources. The Amethi MP had also prepared to defend the deal in the last Monsoon session of Parliament, but he never took off, according to sources.

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In fact, last Wednesday it was left to other young guns Sachin Pilot and Jyotiraditya Scindia to defend the deal in the Lok Sabha.

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Congress sources said Rahul Gandhi has been advised not to stick his neck out on a “contentious and divisive” issue like the nuclear deal. Sources said the objective is to ensure a “clean” image of Rahul like his father the late Rajiv Gandhi, who was also called “Mr Clean” in the beginning of his political career.

That perhaps explains why the Amethi MP has been a reticent parliamentarian despite the fact that he always got rave reviews for the few times he spoke in the Lok Sabha. In over three-and-a-half years of his tenure as an MP, Rahul has spoken only twice in the House — on the plight of sugarcane farmers in a Special Mention on March 21, 2005, and on education, while participating in a discussion on Budget on March 9, 2006. He put up only three unstarred questions — on quality education in technical institutions, vocational training institute and strengthening of Indira Gandhi Udaan Akademi, Fursatganj.

Meanwhile, records state, during the same period, East Delhi MP Sandeep Dikshit has spoken 31 times. Jyotiraditya Scindia spoke 15 times — on budgets, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, wildlife, etc — through combined discussions, Calling Attention, Special Mention, etc. There were 460 starred and unstarred questions against his name. Milind Murli Deora spoke on 11 occasions and there were 348 starred and unstarred questions against his name during the same period.

“He (Rahul Gandhi) is very amiable and accessible. Whenever we meet in Parliament, we talk about a host of things. He is very perceptive also. As for his participation in debates, it should not be a yardstick for judging an MP. Soniaji also does not speak much in the House, but can anybody doubt her understanding of issues and her political skill?” said a Congress MP.

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For the record, Sonia Gandhi has also spoken only thrice in the current Lok Sabha. She spoke to felicitate Somnath Chatterjee and Charanjit Singh Atwal on their elections as Speaker and Deputy Speaker, respectively, and once on the National Rural Employment Guarantee Bill. During the last Lok Sabha though, there were 42 hits against her name in parliamentary records of debates on the Lok Sabha website.