Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi was apt for prime ministership in the future.
"Personally, if you ask me, the general proposition that younger people should take over, I think, is the right sentiment. Whenever the party makes up its mind I will be very happy to step down, but so long as I am here I have a job to do," Singh said in hisinteraction with editors of five major dailies.
Singh's reaction on Rahul Gandhi came amid growing view among Congress leaders that the Gandhi scion must become prime minister. Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh had recently said that the time was ripe for Rahul to become the Prime Minister.
The prime minister also sought to dispel reports that his government was bogged down by a policy paralysis. In an interaction with top editors ahead of Parliament's monsoon session, Singh asserted that he was no "lameduck prime minister".
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met the editors of various media houses on Wednesday.Singh said there was no question of an imminent change of guard in the government. During his interaction with five selected editors -- T.N. Ninan (Business Standard), M.K. Razdan (Press Trust of India), Raj Chengappa (The Tribune), Alok Mehta (Nai Dunia) and Kumar Ketkar (Divya Marathi) -- he claimed to have "full support of Sonia Gandhi" as the Congress chief.
After the meeting, Mehta, the editor-in-chief of Nai Dunia, said, "The prime minister looked confident during the meeting as he sought an image makeover of his government as well as the party. It seemed that he enjoyed full support of his party after a recent meeting. He showed that he was fully in command and there was no threat to his seat. He said 'let the new generation people come in the party but I have got the mandate. Sonia Gandhi has faith in me. I keep talking to her'. He denied being a 'puppet' as he is often called."
On the issue of bringing the prime minister under the ambit of Lokpal, Singh said that he had no objection to it. "I have no objection to it, but there are different views among political parties," Mehta said quoting the prime minister.
Divya Marathi editor Ketkar quoted Singh saying that the Cabinet reshuffle was going to happen "very soon". The prime minister however refused to give any timeframe for the reshuffle.
"The prime minister grades his performance between 5 and 7 (on a scale of 10). We were surprised to see him relaxed whereas we expected him to be embarrassed. He has taken all criticism in his stride. He is not disturbed by the chorus for Rahul Gandhi as the prime minister increasing. He says young blood should take over," Ketkar said.
He said that the prime minister acknowledged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa as a "very important leader", but there was no change in political alignment.
Singh termed the crackdown on Baba Ramdev and his supporters at Ramlila Maidan as "unfortunate" but at the same time defended the police action saying there were reports that communal forces were trying to infiltrate.
He told the editors that the government was committed to pursuing whatever was feasible to deal with black money, tax evasion and corruption. He however added that it was not a one-shot operation.
The prime minister was also critical of the media saying it had become the "accuser, prosecutor and judge".
On the issue of inflation, the prime minister said it was a "worldwide phenomenon" and the government was "trying to control" it.
BJP slams Singh
Reacting to PM's views, BJP chief Nitin Gadkari said Singh must explain whether attack on Ramdev's supporters had his consent.
Gadkari also blamed the rising prices on poor economic polices and corruption in the government.
"Personally, if you ask me, the general proposition that younger people should take over, I think, is the right sentiment. Whenever the party makes up its mind I will be very happy to step down, but so long as I am here I have a job to do," Singh said in hisinteraction with editors of five major dailies.
Singh's reaction on Rahul Gandhi came amid growing view among Congress leaders that the Gandhi scion must become prime minister. Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh had recently said that the time was ripe for Rahul to become the Prime Minister.
The prime minister also sought to dispel reports that his government was bogged down by a policy paralysis. In an interaction with top editors ahead of Parliament's monsoon session, Singh asserted that he was no "lameduck prime minister".
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met the editors of various media houses on Wednesday.Singh said there was no question of an imminent change of guard in the government. During his interaction with five selected editors -- T.N. Ninan (Business Standard), M.K. Razdan (Press Trust of India), Raj Chengappa (The Tribune), Alok Mehta (Nai Dunia) and Kumar Ketkar (Divya Marathi) -- he claimed to have "full support of Sonia Gandhi" as the Congress chief.
After the meeting, Mehta, the editor-in-chief of Nai Dunia, said, "The prime minister looked confident during the meeting as he sought an image makeover of his government as well as the party. It seemed that he enjoyed full support of his party after a recent meeting. He showed that he was fully in command and there was no threat to his seat. He said 'let the new generation people come in the party but I have got the mandate. Sonia Gandhi has faith in me. I keep talking to her'. He denied being a 'puppet' as he is often called."
On the issue of bringing the prime minister under the ambit of Lokpal, Singh said that he had no objection to it. "I have no objection to it, but there are different views among political parties," Mehta said quoting the prime minister.
Divya Marathi editor Ketkar quoted Singh saying that the Cabinet reshuffle was going to happen "very soon". The prime minister however refused to give any timeframe for the reshuffle.
"The prime minister grades his performance between 5 and 7 (on a scale of 10). We were surprised to see him relaxed whereas we expected him to be embarrassed. He has taken all criticism in his stride. He is not disturbed by the chorus for Rahul Gandhi as the prime minister increasing. He says young blood should take over," Ketkar said.
He said that the prime minister acknowledged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa as a "very important leader", but there was no change in political alignment.
Singh termed the crackdown on Baba Ramdev and his supporters at Ramlila Maidan as "unfortunate" but at the same time defended the police action saying there were reports that communal forces were trying to infiltrate.
He told the editors that the government was committed to pursuing whatever was feasible to deal with black money, tax evasion and corruption. He however added that it was not a one-shot operation.
The prime minister was also critical of the media saying it had become the "accuser, prosecutor and judge".
On the issue of inflation, the prime minister said it was a "worldwide phenomenon" and the government was "trying to control" it.
BJP slams Singh
Reacting to PM's views, BJP chief Nitin Gadkari said Singh must explain whether attack on Ramdev's supporters had his consent.
Gadkari also blamed the rising prices on poor economic polices and corruption in the government.
